1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

The Department of Homeland Security's recent threat to remove U.S. customs agents from specific international airports is not merely an administrative overstep; it is an illegal economic blockade. Using the withdrawal of federal personnel to effectively halt international flights is a blatant violation of federal law and an unconstitutional attack on targeted jurisdictions. This proposed action represents a direct collision with the rule of law for the following reasons: 1. Unlawful Extortion and 10th Amendment Violations: The targeted cities are simply exercising their established constitutional rights by declining to commandeer local police for federal immigration enforcement. Punishing these jurisdictions for adhering to the Constitution by holding their international commerce hostage is an act of unlawful extortion. 2. Illegal Interference with Commerce: The executive branch does not possess the unilateral authority to cripple international travel and trade to retaliate against local governments. Weaponizing the operational status of major transit hubs inflicts a severe, disparate economic impact on millions of citizens, businesses, and essential supply chains that rely on global travel. 3. Dereliction of Statutory Duty: Customs and Border Protection is funded by taxpayers to secure the nation's ports of entry, not to function as an instrument of political retribution. Arbitrarily withdrawing operational personnel from key international airports is a direct dereliction of the agency's statutory mandate and intentionally degrades national security. I urge you to exercise your Article I oversight authority to immediately investigate this illegal directive. Furthermore, I demand you support legislative or appropriations language that legally prevents DHS from withdrawing essential customs personnel from any designated international airport as a method of extortion. I will be tracking your response to this severe abuse of power as a direct measure of your commitment to the Constitution and the economic stability of your constituents.