AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Bodies representing the aviation, travel, and trade sectors in the United States have warned that any restriction or halt in the processing of international passenger flights and cargo shipments at the country's major airports could lead to widespread chaos in the air transport network, the stranding of thousands of passengers, and disruption in the transport of vital goods.
This warning came after Marco Molin, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, announced that the Donald Trump administration might soon halt the processing of international passenger and cargo flights at Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey—an airport that serves as one of the main gateways to New York. He cited the non-cooperation of state and local authorities with federal immigration agents as the reason for this potential decision. Molin also stated that these restrictions could extend to more than ten other airports in so-called "immigration sanctuary" cities, including Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco.
In response to this threat, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Airlines for America, the National Retail Federation, and several other organizations stated in a joint statement that halting customs operations at major U.S. airports would throw the country's entire air transport system into crisis. However, the White House has not yet issued an official response, and three airline CEOs have said they doubt the Trump administration would implement such restrictions in the short term. The U.S. Travel Association has estimated that halting all international flights at 18 airports in these cities would cost the U.S. economy over $70 billion and affect 68 million international passengers annually, and this comes as the United States, Canada, and Mexico are on the verge of co-hosting the final stages of the FIFA World Cup.
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