Buffalo officials calling on the White House to reopen Nexus to New York residents.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is refusing to enrol New York state residents in any Trusted Traveller Program over the state's new Green Light law which allows illegal immigrants to apply for a driver's licence.
The move means federal officials can not access the New York DMV database, which is part of the Nexus screening process.
The DHS acting deputy secretary says the law is "really thoughtless in terms of unintended consequences."
Western New York residents trying to enrol in or renew their Nexus cards have been turned away by customs officials at the border.
One New York woman says when she arrived at the Nexus processing centre at the Whirlpool Bridge in Niagara Falls, New York she was told her appointment had been cancelled and her $50 fee would be refunded.
Congressman Brian Higgins says "This policy deals a devastating blow to the New York and United States economy, threatens the future viability of Western New York’s commerce, auto manufacturing, health care and cultural economies that are highly dependent of predictable and efficient access to and from Southern Ontario. Make no mistake, the White House actions will directly and indirectly hurt all of us."