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Cuomo, Trump meeting fails to produce agreement

Feb 14, 2020 12:30 pm
Brendan J. Lyons and Emilie Munson are reporting for the Times Union the private meeting between Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and President Donald J. Trump at the White House on Thu., Feb. 13, produced no deal to lift a ban that prevents New York residents from participating in federal secure-traveler programs. Acting U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf was in attendance and issued a statement afterward saying the discussions were "productive" but will continue to "find a mutually agreeable solution." The prohibition was issued by Homeland Security last week in response to the state's so-called Green Light Law, which allows undocumented individuals to obtain driver's licenses. The law also cuts off access to the state's motor vehicle database by immigration and border agencies. Cuomo contends the federal agencies want continued access to the database, in part, as a tool to track down the undocumented. Federal authorities argue that information-sharing is a matter of national security and the database access is necessary for border protection and immigration enforcement. Cuomo did not speak with reporters following the meeting, but his spokesperson, Dani Lever, issued a statement later saying, "As the governor previously said, we believe [the Department of Homeland Security's] action was politically motivated and unwarranted as the FBI already has information regarding criminal records and TTP applicants already go through an extensive federal background check. The president said that this is an issue he wants to work on and that he would follow up with the governor next week." Read the full story in the Times Union.