Mullin warns processing could stop at sanctuary airports

Mullin warns – Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin privately warned travel executives that the department could stop customs and immigration processing at major U.S. airports in “sanctuary cities” that have declined to cooperate with the Trump administration’s immig

For airport workers and the travelers who count on them. the threat sounded less like politics and more like a deadline. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin privately warned travel executives that the department could stop processing international travelers and cargo at major U.S. airports in “sanctuary cities” that have declined to cooperate with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

The warnings come at a moment when the department has already put its stance on the table. Mullin publicly made the threat in April during a Department of Homeland Security funding dispute.

According to accounts of what he told executives last week, Mullin said authorities could opt to stop customs and immigration processing of international travelers at airports in Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, Seattle and San Francisco.

Airlines for America. which represents major passenger and cargo airlines. responded with blunt language about what such a shift would mean. The group said reducing customs 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.”.

U.S. Travel. representing major airlines. hotel chains. rental car firms and others. made an appeal aimed at policy choices rather than staffing levels. It urged governments at all levels to adopt policies that promote the “free and efficient flow of legitimate travelers. ” and it stressed that the issue cuts across both domestic and international inbound travel.

The timetable matters, too. The Atlantic reported Mullin’s comments earlier and cited sources saying the move would likely occur some time after the end of the FIFA World Cup in the United States in July.

In Washington, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy appeared to step back from the warning. At a U.S. House hearing Thursday, Duffy said he was not familiar with Mullin’s remarks and did not express support.

“We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics,” Duffy said.

The scale of what could be affected underscores why the warning landed hard with industry groups. More than 50 million international travelers arrived at the three major New York airports alone last year.

As the conversation turns from immigration enforcement to the nuts-and-bolts of airport processing. the core tension is sharp: the administration’s push to tighten compliance is colliding with an industry that says halting customs and immigration work would be disruptive far beyond the borders of any single city.

Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin sanctuary cities customs processing immigration crackdown airport processing airline industry U.S. Travel Airlines for America Sean Duffy FIFA World Cup international travelers New York airports