Major airline, travel, retail and business organizations have cautioned that any move to suspend border processing operations at Newark Liberty International Airport or other major United States airports could trigger widespread disruption, leave thousands of travelers stranded and interrupt critical cargo movements across the country.
The warning followed remarks by Homeland Security Department Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday that the Trump administration may soon suspend the processing of international passengers and cargo at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport, a key entry point to New York City.
Mullin cited a lack of cooperation from local law enforcement authorities with federal immigration officials as the reason for the potential action.
Mullin has also indicated that immigration processing could be halted at more than a dozen airports located in so-called sanctuary cities, including Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco.
In a joint statement released Friday, the US Chamber of Commerce, Airlines for America, National Retail Federation, US Travel and several other industry groups said halting customs operations at major airports would “threaten to cause unnecessary chaos throughout the nation’s air transportation system.”
“International aviation networks are highly interconnected, and operational changes at a small number of gateway airports will quickly ripple across the country, negatively impacting travelers, cargo shipments, supply chains, and the communities that depend on those connections,” they said.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, three airline executives told Reuters on Friday they did not expect the Trump administration to impose restrictions in the immediate future.
Mullin has previously criticized local authorities for allegedly failing to ensure federal immigration officials could freely access and leave a detention facility in New Jersey. He also warned that customs personnel could be reassigned away from Newark airport.
According to the US Travel Association, shutting down international flight operations at the 18 airports serving sanctuary cities would inflict an economic loss exceeding $70 billion and affect approximately 68 million international passengers annually.
The association noted that Newark airport alone handles more than 20,000 arriving international passengers every day, including roughly 14,000 US citizens.
“American travelers from across the US could find their flights into the US 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.”
The concerns come as foreign visitors are expected to arrive in large numbers for next month’s FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament final is scheduled for July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, located about 12 miles from Newark airport.
Industry representatives also warned that a shutdown could jeopardize billions of dollars’ worth of imported goods, including pharmaceuticals and semiconductor chips.
“Air cargo cannot be rerouted without severe economic consequences,” said the Cargo Airline Association.
