By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, May 29 (Reuters) – A group representing the U.S. travel industry said Friday that removing immigration officials from Newark airport would cause “immediate and lasting harm” and could cost the U.S. economy $8 billion annually in spending by tourists and strand Americans.
The U.S. Travel Association noted that U.S. customs officials at New Jersey’s Newark airport near New York City process 5 million Americans returning home annually.
“American travelers from across the U.S. could find their flights into the U.S. diverted or canceled,” the group said. “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.”
A shutdown could also imperil billions of dollars in imported cargo, the group added.
On Thursday, the head of the Homeland Security Department warned the Trump administration could soon stop processing international travelers and cargo at Newark airport because local law enforcement are not assisting federal immigration officials in northern New Jersey.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin complained that local police were not ensuring that federal immigration officials could enter and exit a New Jersey detention center and warned he could reassign customs officials from the airport.
On Tuesday, Mullin said the Trump administration was drawing up plans to stop processing international travelers and cargo at major U.S. airports in “sanctuary cities” that have declined to cooperate with an immigration crackdown.
The move could effectively halt international air travel and commerce at major airports in Democratic states, with millions of foreign tourists expected to stream in for next month’s start of the FIFA World Cup.
The final will be held July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, about 12 miles from Newark airport.
The U.S. Justice Department published a list of so-called sanctuary cities and states that included many cities with major international airports including Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, Seattle and San Francisco.
More than 50 million international travelers arrived at the three major New York airports alone last year.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
