U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the Trump administration is drawing up plans to stop processing international travelers and cargo at ?major U.S. airports in sanctuary cities that have declined to cooperate with an immigration crackdown, though he did take a step back as negative pressure began mounting against the threat.
All persons arriving at a port-of-entry to the United States are subject to inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. CBP officers will conduct the Immigration, Customs and Agriculture components of the inspections process. International customs serve as a checkpoint to regulate goods, enforce agriculture safety, and collect taxes on purchased items when entering a country. Upon entering the United States, all travelers, foreign or U.S. citizen, must fill out a declaration form and state whether they are carrying agricultural products, merchandise beyond personal use, or currency exceeding $10,000.
The move could effectively halt international air travel and commerce at some major airports, with millions of foreign tourists expected to stream in for start of the FIFA World Cup.
In a Fox News interview, Mullin said he had met White House ?officials but emphasized no decision had been made whether to proceed. 'We shouldn't be processing ?international flights into their cities,' he added, in reference to sanctuary cities, where he suggested some cities aren’t allowing ICE to do their job and enforce federal laws.
If DHS withdraws Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from international airports in sanctuary cities, it will immediately halt all incoming international passenger and cargo flights at those facilities, triggering a massive aviation and economic crisis. International flights legally cannot land at a U.S. airport without federal customs inspection. Because large jumbo jets cannot simply be diverted to other, smaller airports, airlines would be forced to cancel hundreds of flights.
According to a report in the New York Times, the travel industry estimates that shutting down customs at major global gateways could put over $70 billion in U.S. economic activity and billions in international visitor spending at risk. Halting customs at Newark Airport alone would jeopardize an estimated $8 billion per year in travel spending and $100 million of daily imports.
The U.S. Justice Department published a list of so-called sanctuary cities and states that ?included many cities with major international airports which included airports such as Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, ?Seattle and San Francisco.
According to a Reuters report, the U.S. Travel Association, which represents major airlines, hotels, car rental firms and other travel companies, met with Mullin and confirmed comments that the administration is considering a withdrawal of CBP officers ?from international airports ?in certain sanctuary cities.
While the proposal would not close the airports themselves, but it could sharply affect how international flights are handled if federal customs and immigration staff are pulled back from those airports and comes just weeks before the FIFA World Cup, raising concerns about travel disruptions, trade delays, and economic fallout.
Airlines, airport operators and travel industry groups warned that disrupting arrival processing could slow passenger screening, delay cargo and create ripple effects for tourism, business travel and international trade.
Though some legal experts point to travelers’ constitutional rights regarding entry, privacy and consumer protection, they vary significantly by immigration status. , though constitutional protections vary significantly by immigration status. Foreign nationals do not have the same constitutional right to enter the U.S. as citizens and are subject to strict border searches.