Reminds me a bit of flying into/out of MBJ or CUN on vacation and waiting 1-2 hours to clear immigration. I can complain, sure, but what alternative do I have? You can roll the dice with EWR, but you may end up just as bad, or worse.
If you fly more than once a year, you should have GE (it's free with a dozen different credit cards). If you're not eligible.. sorry! But you have no recourse.