We asked our Dell sales guy this question years ago now, when they had been removed one year and quickly added back the next year.
They are there mostly for government builds, and other places with high security requirements. Usually the requirement is that they need to prevent any unauthorized USB devices from being plugged in. With the PS2 m&k ports they can disable the USB ports entirely in the BIOS.
Gerrymandered districts are more in danger not less. Gerrymandering is about spreading out areas which are easy wins, and instead spreading those votes over multiple districts.
You gain more seats, but you make every race closer.