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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.
