Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin reportedly said on Fox News that the Trump administration is “drawing up plans” to withdraw immigration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing of international flights at so-called “sanctuary city” airports, to include international travelers and cargo. Secretary Mullin said that if “radical left Democrats” are not allowing the government to “enforce federal laws …, we shouldn’t be processing international flights into their cities either.”
Secretary Mullin did not specify a timeline or the cities to which he was referring. Some believe it might not be implemented before the FIFA World Cup games conclude in July. Regarding the possible locations, the Department of Justice previously identified, among others, New York City; Newark, New Jersey; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; San Francisco and Los Angeles, California; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as cities that are hindering U.S. immigration enforcement.
The U.S. Travel Association (USTA), which represents major airlines and hotels, confirmed that Secretary Mullin has told the group that such a policy is under consideration, which USTA said would have “devastating consequences for the travel industry and communities that depend on international visitation.” Airlines for America, a trade association, echoed that view, noting that “[r]educing [CBP] staffing at major airports would have a devastating effect on the airline and tourism industries, causing a significant operational disruption to carriers, travelers and the flow of international cargo.”
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy reportedly said recently that it would be “a bad idea to start restricting travel based on political views.” He noted, “We have people from around the world and around the country that need to be able to fly into all different kinds of places. We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics.”
