DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has announced plans to block all international flights into sanctuary cities by ending Customs and Border Protection screening at those airports, according to a direct statement made on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity.” The policy remains in the drafting phase but marks a significant escalation in pressure against jurisdictions that resist federal immigration enforcement cooperation.
Mullin explicitly tied the move to recent clashes around a Newark facility, where DHS reported local authorities failed to assist federal personnel during barricades and protests. He stated that cities obstructing federal immigration efforts—such as refusing to allow DHS officers access to airports or blocking federal operations—should not expect continued international flight processing. “If city streets around a federal facility are controlled by local officials who refuse to help DHS move personnel in and out, the federal government should reassess what it provides,” Mullin said during the interview.
The policy targets major international gateways including Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (O’Hare and Midway), New York City, Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, and Newark. These airports serve as critical hubs for tourism, cargo, business travel, and returning Americans. The U.S. Travel Association warned that removing Customs and Border Protection officers from such facilities would severely disrupt communities dependent on international visitors, while major airlines raised concerns about the operational impact during a congressional hearing involving Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Mullin confirmed the White House has been briefed on the initiative, framing federal airport processing as leverage against sanctuary cities that demand immigration enforcement cooperation without reciprocating federal services. No final implementation order exists, but DHS officials now describe the policy as actively being drafted with concrete steps to enforce it. Sanctuary city mayors face a stark choice: accept federal oversight or risk losing critical international travel infrastructure under current administration protocols.