Airlines say DHS customs cuts would cripple international flights

If the Department of Homeland Security removes customs agents from major airports in sanctuary cities, airlines warn it would create travel chaos that would make long TSA lines look like child's play. Carriers would be forced to redraw route maps on the fly. One example is American Airlines Flight 101 from London-Heathrow to JFK: hubs in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia could be off the table, pushing traffic instead to Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, or Miami.

Those airports are already busy, and adding flights raises urgent questions about gates, schedules, and whether there are enough gate agents, ramp workers, baggage handlers, and contractors to handle the extra demand. Connections and passengers amplify the problem.

If travelers bound for Santa Ana, Des Moines, or Chicago land at a different hub, the airline may need to arrange alternative flights or put people on other carriers, and disputes would follow over who pays or whether passengers are stranded.

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