By Maribel Velazquez
The president’s administration donald trump is studying a measure that could alter international air traffic in the United States: reducing federal operations at airports located in cities considered “sanctuary,” that is, those that limit their cooperation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Withhold a watch on (ICE).
The information was revealed by The Atlantic, which cited sources close to private meetings headed by the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)Markwayne Mullin.
According to the report, Mullin recently held a meeting with airline executives and representatives of the tourism sector in Washington, where he discussed the possibility of reducing company staff. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in airports in cities that do not fully collaborate with ICE.
Airports under migratory pressure
Among the airports mentioned during the conversation are John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Portland International Airport, in Oregon.
The proposal would involve reduce personnel in charge of processing passengers and international cargo, a decision that, according to experts cited by The Atlantic, could cause delays, cancellations and diversions of flights to other cities.
“The message was that this is a valid proposal that the administration is considering”said a source with knowledge of the meeting to the American media. Another participant described the possible impact as “devastating” for the airline industry.
Mullin had already advanced this knowledge weeks ago during an interview on Fox Data, where he assured that the government should “carefully analyze” whether the Sanctuary cities should continue receiving international flights while they refuse to collaborate with federal immigration policies.
Tourism sector fears economic impact
Representatives of airlines and the tourism sector have expressed concern about the economic consequences and logistics of the measure.
John Rose, risk analyst and consultant at the Altour agency, told the aforementioned media that the opinion could affect not only sanctuary cities, but the entire US air network.
“It hurts the airlines. It hurts airports. But I don’t know if it will put a lot of pressure on the cities,” he explained.
Experts also warned that alternative airports in conservative states such as Texas or Florida do not have sufficient capacity to absorb international operations diverted from centers such as New York or Los Angeles.
DHS has not yet made a final decision
Although the Department of Homeland Security avoided responding directly to the content of the meetings, a senior official cited by The Atlantic noted that The administration is still analyzing different options to put pressure on sanctuary cities.
Among the measures under evaluation would also be restrict some immigration programs and federal benefits administered by the Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The discussion occurs in the midst of the new immigration offensive promoted by Trump and internal pressure from conservative sectors that demand more aggressive deportations.
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