U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he is drawing up plans to stop customs processing for international flights landing in sanctuary cities [1].
This proposal threatens to disrupt global travel and commerce by effectively blocking international arrivals at some of the busiest airports in the United States. If implemented, it would create a significant legal and logistical conflict between federal immigration authorities and municipal governments.
Speaking on Fox News late on May 26, Mullin said recent protests outside an immigration detention center in New Jersey triggered the move [1]. He identified airports in cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles as examples of sanctuary jurisdictions where processing could be halted [2].
"I'm drawing up plans to end the processing of international flights in left‑leaning cities," Mullin said [1].
The secretary said the decision stems from a lack of cooperation between federal agents and local officials. He said "local radical left Democrats aren't allowing us to do our job and enforce" [3]. According to Mullin, this lack of cooperation prevents the Department of Homeland Security from executing its duties [3].
"We shouldn't be processing international flights into sanctuary cities," Mullin said [4].
The proposal targets cities that maintain sanctuary policies, which typically limit local law enforcement's cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mullin linked the decision to the inability of DHS to operate effectively in these environments, specifically mentioning the volatility surrounding detention facilities [2].
It remains unclear how the department would redirect thousands of daily international passengers if customs processing were removed from major hubs like San Francisco International Airport (SFO) [2]. The administration has not yet released a formal timeline or a legal framework for the transition.
“"I'm drawing up plans to end the processing of international flights in left‑leaning cities."”
This move represents an escalation in the long-standing conflict between the federal government and sanctuary cities over immigration enforcement. By targeting customs processing, the DHS is leveraging critical infrastructure—international airports—as a tool to compel local cooperation with ICE. This could lead to immediate legal challenges regarding the federal government's authority to disrupt international commerce and the statutory requirements for processing travelers entering the U.S.
