Last time I checked, a criminal is someone who has been convicted of something more than a traffic infraction. Arrests by themselves do not constitute criminality.

I dont want to get into specifics of the OP's legal troubles. But having minor infractions do not automatically bar you from GE.

For Example, a Underage Drinking Citation, or a noise complaint. Hell, my friend got GE and he had a public urination arrest on his record. (tailgating was intense that day)


But a long past of infractions or serious infractions, or not remembering your infractions will bar you from GE.

So without knowing the details of the OP's past, we cant really speculate what the problem is.

But I agree with what was said above

Most of our Presidents would be denied if they applied.

Where there's smoke....

You may not have been convicted, but your MULTIPLE arrests seem to indicate a pattern. Also, convictions have a much higher threshold of guilt required than what CBP has to abide by.

While I agree with Spiff in general about "open borders" for US citizens, I can't fault CBP for labeling you as not meeting their "trusted traveler" determination.

And what if there is information on that screen that is erroneous or incorrect?

The government never makes a mistake. Never, never, never.

Oops, I made a mistake.

I can fault CBP for these outcomes and blowing smoke and putting up mirrors to use against free US citizens. The DHS/TSA/CBP "trusted traveler" nonsense is Orwellian Animal Farmesque; and it is also Kafkaesque to boot.

He was never convicted. Perhaps he is in lots of protest marches, and gets arrested a lot. Unless his arrest was for a customs or immigration violation that he committed but the authorities declined to prosecute, then there is no need to refuse GE.

I agree GE should be the norm and there should be no questioning after the kiosk clears a traveler. I don't understand how the system can work without biometrics. Without biometrics, it would be easy for someone to use anothers GE identification to enter the country.

Anyone else have any similar experiences

Two of my friends have got GE with MIP's (minors in possession)

One got a GE with a DUI. But he went through the ARD program first.
I dont know if other states have ARD. IT pretty much clears your record of the infraction.

That's not at all clear. Can you provide a citation for that claim? When I was waiting for me GE interview (which was almost content-free since I'd applied for NEXUS, which was granted by the US officer but refused by CBSA until I appealed, but granted after the second GE inteview), I heard somebody who was an attorney discussing a many-year-old conviction that he thought had been expunged, but it wasn't on CBP's record. I didn't catch what it was for, but apparently there is requirement for no convictions of a certain type.

But I agree with the comments about the OP: I don't think the issue was an arrest, but multiple arrests and it sounds like the charges on many of them were different, which is a major red flag. Somebody getting arrested and not convicted multiple times for "disturbing the peace" was probably committing acts of civil disobedience and I doubt would be flagged. But somebody with multiple arrests and multiple charges is a very different situation and I agree that "where there's smoke, there's fire" applies. I strongly suspect there's more to this story than we're being told here.

Is the standard for Trusted Traveler lower than for Global Entry?

Global Entry is a subset of DHS's "Trusted Traveler" nonsense.

I have a colleague with multiple indiscretions though his early adulthood that he believes will prevent him from getting Global Entry. When we travel together he always gets the trusted traveler line, along with the rest of us. When we return from international trips together he is always last to the car because he doesn't have Global Entry. Does him qualifying for Trusted Traveler mean he would qualify for Global Entry?

Talking of PreCheck and Global Entry? Both are subsets of the DHS "trusted traveler" approach. To answer your question about him qualifying for being enabled for Global entry: perhaps he would qualify but there is no certainty that he would until he applies and "interviews".

There are people who get the PreCheck/PreCheck LLL treatment but do get rejected for being enabled for Global Entry. There are also people who rarely or never get the PreCheck LLL treatment yet are enabled for Global Entry.

Seems that GE requirements are rather arbitrary...
I was denied, twice. I have a DUI misdemeanor conviction from 2007. I, of course, disclosed it.

Here's the kicker (and the agent got a kick out of this too when his boss told him to deny me): CBP and the agency I work for are in the same department. I hold a valid security clearance. No disciplinary action was ever taken against me by the agency for the DUI conviction, never had my access even suspended for that, let alone lose the clearance. According to the agent, sure... in his logic, based on a simple fact that gov't would trust me with secrets I should've been granted GE membership. His supervisor disagreed.