A prominent labor union has initiated legal action against the Trump administration, filing a lawsuit on Friday that accuses federal officials of unlawfully revoking the security clearances of numerous immigrant airport workers who are legally authorized to work in the United States. This action has effectively resulted in the termination of their employment, according to the union's complaint.
Widespread Impact on Airport Workers
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) stated that at least 80 workers at Boston's Logan International Airport have lost what is known as a customs seal, which is essential for accessing restricted areas of the airport. The lawsuit further indicates that additional workers at airports in New York, Orlando, San Francisco, and Houston have also had their seals revoked. "These actions constitute a nationwide assault on immigrant airport workers," the union alleged in its formal complaint. A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment on Friday.
Role of Customs Seals in Airport Employment
SEIU represents approximately 40,000 airport workers across the country who perform various essential roles, including cleaning terminals and airplane cabins, assisting elderly travelers, and working in airport restaurants and shops. The union emphasizes that many of these workers cannot perform their duties without displaying a customs seal badge, making the revocation of these seals a direct threat to their livelihoods.
According to the complaint, the application process for these seals was historically "straightforward" until shortly after President Donald Trump's inauguration. Subsequently, workers who had previously passed background checks without issue began experiencing denials during renewal applications. "Once CBP grants a seal, the agency will generally renew it absent a material change in the seal holder's circumstances. Employers, airport authorities, airlines, and workers have relied on this system for decades," the union stated. "Since February 2025, however, Defendants have abruptly and haphazardly upended this established system."
Personal Stories of Affected Workers
The lawsuit identifies four plaintiffs who have recently lost their customs seals, highlighting their personal struggles. One plaintiff is 65-year-old Raquel Molina, who immigrated from El Salvador and was employed at Logan Airport for 27 years before her seal was revoked. Another plaintiff, 58-year-old Saint Paul Paul from Haiti, worked as a cabin cleaner at Logan for three years until his seal was revoked last summer.
"The letter I got from Customs and Border Protection on June 30 said that I was an 'unacceptable risk,' even though I have the authority to work, even though I am a good worker," Paul said in a statement provided through the union. "I think this language is an excuse so the government can discriminate against immigrants like me."
Broader Immigration Enforcement Context
Customs and Border Protection is the agency within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for enforcing customs laws and safeguarding ports of entry, including international airports. Although CBP is a separate entity from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), CBP officers have been involved in ICE operations as part of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement policies.
SEIU claims that CBP has been revoking customs seals "en masse" for foreign-born green card holders, asylum-seekers, and workers with temporary protected status, which shields individuals from certain countries from deportation. Since losing their jobs, the four named plaintiffs have all faced significant difficulties in finding similarly paying employment. For instance, Paul ultimately accepted a position at Chipotle, illustrating the economic hardship caused by these revocations.
