Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin may take action against “sanctuary cities” that subvert federal immigration laws by removing customs agents at their international airports.
The move would crush the tourist economies of sanctuary cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco by rendering them incapable of processing international travelers.
Mullin floated the idea Monday during an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier.
“I believe sanctuary cities — it’s not lawful,” the DHS boss said. “This one area we may take a hard look at is … some of these cities have international airports. If they’re a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?
“If they’re a sanctuary city and they’re receiving international flights, and we’re asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they’re not going to enforce immigration policy — maybe we need to have a really hard look at that,” Mullin continued.
.@SecMullinDHS: “Some of these cities have international airports… If they’re a ‘sanctuary city’ and they’re receiving international flights — and we’re asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they’re not going to enforce… pic.twitter.com/RCT52ALwQz
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 6, 2026
Baier asked if the DHS secretary was suggesting that international airports in sanctuary cities “might lose their customs.”
Mullin replied that this is an option DHS is seriously considering. He underscored that nothing he plans to do would exceed the agency’s congressional authority.
“Well, I’m saying we’re going to have to start prioritizing things at some point. Right now, remember, the Democrats are wanting to defund Customs and Border Patrol,” he said.
“Well, who processes those individuals when they walk off the plane? So, I’m going to have to be forced to make hard decisions. Who’s willing to work with us, and partner with us?”
Mullin added: “I am not going outside the policies that Congress passed for me. And we’re not trying to push those, but we’re saying that you’ve got to partner with us.”
Sanctuary cities are jurisdictions that incentivize illegal immigration by refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Major sanctuary cities — all of which are run by Democrats — include the following, according to the Justice Department:
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Philadelphia
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Denver
- Boston
- New Orleans.
Mullin’s proposal may sound extreme to some, but so is allowing the United States to devolve into a mass dumping ground for illegal aliens.
Sanctuary policies cost American lives.
And ICE is working day and night, 24/7/365, to ensure that criminal illegal aliens are removed from our country — regardless of whether they reside in a sanctuary county, city or state. pic.twitter.com/Mju6UaJM0S
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) April 6, 2026
American taxpayers shelled out more than $150 billion on immigrants in the U.S. illegally in 2023 alone, the Department of Government Efficiency estimates.
MORE: https://t.co/OF8eTQBzXb pic.twitter.com/AR9p4dCR87
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) December 5, 2024
As Democrats continue to prioritize illegal aliens over U.S. citizens, Americans must remember that this nation does not exist to serve as a dumping ground for unvetted armies of Third-World migrants.
As the late President Ronald Reagan said, “A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.”
No nation — no matter how wealthy or powerful — can withstand the catastrophic impact of unfettered illegal immigration, which endangers public safety, drains public resources, and threatens national security.
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