Trump wants to ban international flights from sanctuary cities [View all]

https://www.newsweek.com/major-airports-dhs-markwayne-mullin-international-flights-customs-map-11979734

Major US Airports Could Lose International Flights Under New Plan:
May 21, 2026 at 04:34 PM EDT

A proposal under consideration by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership could disrupt air travel at some of the busiest airports in the United States, raising the possibility that key international hubs would be unable to accept overseas flights.

The plan, floated by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, centers on whether the federal government should continue providing customs processing at airports in so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions—cities and states that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Without those services, airports would effectively lose their ability to function as international gateways.

Mullin recently met with airline and travel-industry executives at DHS headquarters and raised the possibility of scaling back Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staffing at major international hubs in sanctuary jurisdictions, The Atlantic reported. Mullin’s remarks built on comments he made in his first days as DHS secretary in March, when he floated the idea during a Fox News interview. At the time, he questioned whether sanctuary jurisdictions with major airports should continue to receive federal customs services. While framed then as a possibility, his more recent comments suggest the idea is being taken more seriously as a potential pressure point in the administration’s immigration strategy.

CBP, a DHS agency, is responsible for inspecting all passengers arriving from abroad. If agents were withdrawn from major airports fielding international passengers, airlines would no longer be able to legally land international flights at affected airports, forcing widespread rerouting or cancellations.

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