Removing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from Newark and other U.S. airports would cause, "immediate and lasting harm," the U.S. Travel Association is warning.
"Pulling CBP officers from airports would cause a severe, self-inflicted economic wound," the trade group said in a statement released Friday.
The warning is a response to continued threats by Department of Homeland Security secretary Markwayne Mullin to remove customs officers from entry points in airports in sanctuary cities.
U.S. Travel also referenced the timing of the threats, which are coming ahead of the June 11 beginning of the FIFA World Cup.
"American citizens trying to get home, international visitors and the success of a once-in-a-generation global event cannot be used as leverage -- as a threat, a punishment or a catalyst for negotiation -- in disputes over immigration. We urge all parties to find solutions for disputes over immigration policy without impacting travel," the trade group said.
The economic impact
In a Tuesday interview on Fox News, Mullin, reiterating earlier threats, said that the administration is drawing up plans for Customs to cease entry processing of international flights in sanctuary cities, "where the local radical left Democrats aren't allowing us to do our jobs and enforce federal laws."
He made the remarks on the tail end of an interview in which he condemned protests outside an ICE detention center in Newark.
Though Mullin didn't state specifically which airports DHS is considering targeting, last year the Department of Justice published a list of what the administration considers to be sanctuary counties and cities, including a bevy of international flight hubs: Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Seattle and San Francisco.
In its Friday warning, U.S. Travel said customs officers at Newark Airport alone process 5 million Americans returning to the U.S. each year, many of whom will travel on from there to a different home state. The loss of international visitors entering through Newark would cost the U.S. economy an estimated $8 billion annually, the trade group said.