Pushback Against Proposal to Suspend Customs at Sanctuary City Airports
WASHINGTON — Airline industry groups and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy are expressing strong opposition to Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin’s suggestion to halt customs processing at airports located in “sanctuary cities.” This move is viewed as a refusal to align with the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Mullin first mentioned his idea in an interview on Fox News in April right after his appointment, and he reaffirmed it in a May 13 meeting with industry leaders in travel and aviation. This was initially reported by The Atlantic.
Major travel industry organizations have since raised their voices against this proposal, which seems to target airports in cities such as New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco.
Airlines for America, the largest industry group in the country, stated, “CBP’s layoffs at major airports will have a devastating impact on the aviation and tourism industries and cause significant operational disruption to airlines, travelers, and international cargo flows.” Meanwhile, the U.S. Travel Association, representing airlines, hotels, and other travel service providers, urged all levels of government to implement policies that facilitate the efficient movement of legitimate travelers.
During a House Budget Committee hearing on Thursday, Duffy rejected Mullin’s idea.
“We have people from all over the world and across the country who need to fly to all kinds of places,” he said. “We should not shut down air travel in states that don’t agree with our politics.” Notably, in 2025, the three major airports in New York welcomed around 50 million international travelers.
Mullin had openly questioned whether sanctuary cities with international airports should manage customs processing during an April 6 interview on FOX.
His comments suggested that if these cities accept international flights but don’t cooperate with federal immigration requests, there might be a reevaluation of customs enforcement at their airports. “We need to focus on cities that want to work with us,” he added, emphasizing potential prioritization in customs enforcement.
Mullin also remarked, “Remember, right now, Democrats want to defund Customs and Border Protection.”
President Trump has criticized sanctuary cities for not cooperating with federal immigration authorities and hinted at cutting off funding for them as of January.
Critics argue that these sanctuary policies may hinder the deportation of violent criminals, as prisons often ignore detainment requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In August, the Department of Justice published a list highlighting 12 states and 18 cities that were uncooperative regarding such requests. Among them, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and New York feature several of the busiest airports in the U.S., based on self-reported passenger traffic in 2025.
A representative from the DHS chose not to comment on the matter.
