Pulling customs officials from Newark Liberty International Airport and other major airports would trigger "immediate and lasting harm" and jeopardize as much as $8 billion a year in tourism revenue, the U.S. Travel Association said Friday, according to Reuters.
The warning came after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatened to withdraw Customs and Border Protection officers from Newark airport, citing what he described as a failure by local law enforcement in northern New Jersey to assist federal immigration officials at a regional detention center. Mullin has also said the administration is drawing up broader plans to halt customs processing at major airports in so-called sanctuary cities that have declined to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
The U.S. Travel Association said its representatives met with Mullin, who confirmed the administration is considering pulling CBP officers from major international airports. Airlines for America, whose members include American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, said such a move would have "a devastating effect on the airline and tourism industries, causing a significant operational disruption to carriers, travelers and the flow of international cargo," according to CNBC.
According to the U.S. Travel Association, roughly five million Americans pass back through Newark each year. Beyond passenger travel, the group warned that halting customs operations would put billions of dollars worth of imported cargo in jeopardy as well. The association issued a stark warning about the broader fallout: "American travelers from across the U.S. could find their flights into the U.S. diverted or canceled. Millions of international visitors will face the same disruption, and with the FIFA World Cup weeks away, the damage to America's reputation as a welcoming destination would be significant and lasting."
East Rutherford, New Jersey, which sits roughly 12 miles from Newark airport, is set to host the FIFA World Cup final on July 19. The Department of Justice has published a list of jurisdictions it considers sanctuary cities that includes airports serving New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver.
Despite Mullin's repeated public comments on the idea, the plan has not been approved by the White House. According to two administration officials who spoke with CNN, the proposal is not close to being enacted, and within the administration it is regarded less as White House policy than as an initiative Mullin has championed on his own. At a recent congressional hearing, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy broke with Mullin, telling lawmakers that "we shouldn't shut down air travel in a state that doesn't agree with our politics."