Travel Group Warns Newark Airport Shift Could Cost $8B

removing immigration – The U.S. Travel Association warned that moving immigration processing away from Newark Liberty International Airport could spark disruptions for both Americans and international visitors, including before the FIFA World Cup, and could cost the U.S. economy as

For millions of travelers, Newark Liberty International Airport is more than a transit point. It’s where trips end and homes begin. Now the U.S. Travel Association is warning that a policy fight over immigration enforcement could turn that routine into delays. cancellations. and expensive disruptions—warnings that come just weeks before the FIFA World Cup kicks off.

On Friday, the U.S. Travel Association said removing immigration officials from Newark would cause “immediate and lasting harm” and could cost the U.S. economy $8 billion annually in spending by tourists and could strand Americans.

The association tied that damage to the scale of the work currently handled by U.S. customs officials at Newark, which it said processes 5 million Americans returning home each year. It warned that “American travelers from across the U.S. could find their flights into the U.S. diverted or canceled. ” while “millions of international visitors will face the same disruption.” With the FIFA World Cup weeks away. the group said the damage to America’s reputation as a welcoming destination would be “significant and lasting.”.

It also warned of wider consequences beyond passengers. A shutdown, the group said, could imperil billions of dollars in imported cargo.

The dispute traces back to tensions between federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement in northern New Jersey. On Thursday. the head of the Homeland Security Department warned the Trump administration could soon stop processing international travelers and cargo at Newark because local police are not assisting federal immigration officials. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin complained that local police were not ensuring that federal immigration officials could enter and exit a New Jersey detention center. He warned he could reassign customs officials from the airport.

Mullin’s remarks fit within a broader effort the administration has been discussing. On Tuesday. he 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 potential ripple effect is big because Newark is not an isolated example. The move. the association warned in its own economic projection. could effectively halt international air travel and commerce at major airports in Democratic states as millions of foreign tourists are expected to arrive for the World Cup. which begins next month.

The World Cup final is set for July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey—about 12 miles from Newark airport.

The legal and enforcement backdrop has been laid out by the U.S. Justice Department through a published list of so-called sanctuary cities and states. That list included many cities with major international airports: Boston. Denver. Philadelphia. Chicago. Los Angeles. New York City. Newark. Seattle and San Francisco.

Last year alone, more than 50 million international travelers arrived at the three major New York airports.

For now, the travel industry’s warning lands on a tightly timed countdown. If processing changes spread from Newark to other major airports tied to sanctuary designations. travelers arriving for the early stages of the World Cup could face disruptions right as the country is pitching itself to the world as open for business.

Newark airport immigration enforcement Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin sanctuary cities customs officials FIFA World Cup travel industry U.S. Travel Association international travelers imported cargo