Mullin Signals CBP Cuts at Sanctuary City Airports
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told travel executives on Wednesday that the department may reduce Customs and Border Protection staffing at major airports in a sanctuary city. The discussion singled out airports that handle international passengers and cargo, including Portland International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.
Mullin met a small group of airline and travel-industry executives at DHS headquarters in Washington. He said, "If they’re a sanctuary city and they’re receiving international flights, and we’re asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they’re not going to enforce immigration policy—maybe we need to have a really hard look at that."
Washington DHS Meeting
The remarks followed an earlier move in early April, when Mullin floated on the idea of cutting federal screening of international passengers and cargo at airports in cities with sanctuary policies. Those policies limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Mullin also said, "I’m going to have to be forced to make hard decisions."
Travel executives told DHS that international travelers and cargo cannot be easily routed elsewhere. They said the disruption would cause chaos in major U.S. airports and inflict significant economic damage beyond the cities Mullin is seeking to pressure.
JFK, Newark, Portland
The airports Mullin named sit on major international arrival paths, where passengers and freight often continue to other destinations. The discussion included New York City-area airports such as JFK and Newark, along with Portland International Airport and Washington Dulles, putting several of the country's busiest entry points into the same policy debate.
Two people with knowledge of the discussion said the pullback would likely occur sometime after the United States finishes hosting the World Cup in July. That timing gives airlines and airport operators a short window before any staffing change could reach the terminals and cargo areas now handling those flights.
For travelers and shippers using those airports, the immediate issue is not a new rule on the books but a staffing threat raised directly with industry leaders. The practical pressure now sits with airlines, cargo handlers and airport operators that would have to absorb a cut in federal screening capacity if DHS follows through.
