Why CBP Expects Contactless Airport Checkpoints to Become the Default

US Customs and Border Protection is signaling that contactless airport screening will become the normal experience for international arrivals, beginning with members of the Global Entry program. Diane Sabatino, CBP's Executive Assistant Commissioner, told the Washington Examiner that within a few years Global Entry members should expect to walk through checkpoints without an obvious stop — unless an officer has a specific reason to speak with them.

The shift is built on biometric identification such as facial recognition and fingerprints, combined with remote baggage screening and threat briefings. Officials stress that a traveler's lack of visible engagement does not mean a lack of screening: luggage is examined, identities are checked against watchlists, and officers can intervene when something needs clarification.

Sabatino oversees 328 land, air and seaports of entry, where CBP processes roughly 390,000 travelers per day. The agency's stated aim is to speed processing while redeploying officers toward conversations that help determine a traveler's intent — work it describes as central to border security.

The Security Logic Behind CBP's Contactless Screening Expansion

Where Global Entry Modernization Changes the Traveler's Experience

The most concrete change is for Global Entry members: instead of a routine document or kiosk stop, they may pass through with no perceived interaction. CBP's framing is that vetting becomes ambient — identity checks, X-ray review and threat-briefing flags happen before or around the traveler's passage. The traveler notices less, but the security layer still operates.

Why CBP Wants Officers Focused on Intent, Not Documents

Sabatino's argument is a staffing one. If technology handles routine verification, officers can spend more time talking with travelers and assessing intent. For an agency processing 390,000 people daily, moving even part of that workload to automated checks could redistribute officer time toward cases that actually require judgment.

The Efficiency Claim Is Real but Not Yet Quantified

CBP says processing times are already dropping for all categories of travelers, but the interview does not provide independent data, airport-level results or error rates. The direction is clear; the pace and consistency across airports are not. This matters because contactless screening requires airport infrastructure, updated traveler enrollment data and clear contingency procedures.

What Global Entry Members and Airport Operators Should Prepare For

For travelers:

  • Global Entry members should keep their membership, passport and biometric data current, because the contactless model assumes CBP can identify you without a document exchange each time.
  • Even without an obvious checkpoint stop, expect continued screening behind the scenes; carry required travel documents and be ready to stop if an officer selects you based on a threat briefing or baggage review.
  • Non-Global Entry international arrivals should expect biometric verification to become more common before the shift is universal; ensure travel documents are valid and photo quality is current.

For airport and airline operators:

  • Prepare passenger messaging for a hybrid period in which contactless lanes and traditional checks coexist; CBP has not published a uniform airport-by-airport date.
  • Terminal processes should account for faster biometric throughput at some lanes — and the need for officers to remain available for follow-up conversations when a traveler is flagged.