Several weeks prior, I discussed how the Trump administration was contemplating the removal of customs operations from airports in select cities, effectively limiting international flights to those locations. The notion seemed so outlandish that it was difficult to take it seriously. However, it appears this wasn’t merely a jest, and the administration is indeed making strides towards this objective. We are now uncovering further details about what these proposals may entail…
Mullin aims to remove customs from airports to penalize cities
Markwayne Mullin has taken on the role of Trump’s new Homeland Security Secretary following Kristi Noem’s sudden dismissal earlier this year. The former Oklahoma Senator is recognized for generating headlines, but this has to be among the most ridiculous I have encountered (along with the time he considered confronting a union president in the Senate).
In early April 2026, during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Mullin was queried about the lack of local law enforcement collaboration in so-called “sanctuary cities.” Mullin replied with:
“I contend that sanctuary cities are unlawful; I don’t believe they have the right to operate that way. Thus, we’re going to examine this issue closely. One aspect we might scrutinize is that some of these cities have international airports. If they’re indeed sanctuary cities, should they be processing customs into their municipalities?”
“Frankly, if they’re sanctuary cities, and they’re allowing international flights, while we request they cooperate with us at the airport, but upon leaving the airport, they refuse to enforce immigration policy? Perhaps we need to investigate that rigorously, as our focus should be on cities willing to collaborate with us.”
Baier was taken aback by that statement and subsequently asked:
“So you’re suggesting that major sanctuary cities with large airports could lose their customs?”
Mullin’s reply was:
“Well, I’m indicating that we’ll have to start prioritizing matters at some stage. At present, remember, the Democrats aim to defund Customs and Border Patrol. Who facilitates processing for those individuals when they disembark from the plane? Therefore, I will be required to make tough choices regarding who is willing to cooperate with us?”
An update has emerged, with The Atlantic reporting that this was not just a casual comment made once. Instead, it’s a genuine initiative that is being pursued. According to this report, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, Mullin gathered a select group of executives from the airline and travel industry at DHS headquarters, where he outlined these plans.
The concept is that we may witness significant restrictions on airport customs facilities in the approaching months, with alterations likely being enforced in July 2026 and beyond, once the United States concludes its World Cup hosting duties. We’ll see if anything materializes from this, but it’s quite something to note that this continues to be a topic of discussion weeks later among industry leaders.
This is such a ridiculous threat to even consider
Individuals within the Trump administration have a reputation for issuing numerous threats; however, this one undoubtedly ranks high, in my opinion.
There is no official definition for what exactly comprises a “sanctuary city,” and for those unfamiliar, it pertains to areas where local authorities restrict cooperation with federal immigration entities. The Trump administration maintains a list of locations it designates as sanctuary cities.
This encompasses cities like Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, etc. Therefore, make no mistake, the implication here is that they are contemplating shutting down customs at many of the largest airports in the nation. Perhaps Vasu Raja’s global domination strategy for El Paso wasn’t as misguided as it seemed, just ahead of its time…
To state the obvious, this would have utterly disastrous repercussions for airlines. Essentially, airlines would find themselves without coastal hubs, possibly with the exception of American in Miami. This strikes me as an unbelievable misuse of time.
In summary
The newly appointed Homeland Security Secretary, Markwayne Mullin, is threatening to eliminate customs at the largest airports in the country due to insufficient cooperation from “sanctuary cities.” While I completely understand that this individual wishes to assert his authority in any possible way, essentially threatening to prohibit international flights at the nation’s most significant airports does not appear to be a viable strategy.
This concept was initially proposed on Fox News several weeks ago, and many speculated about its seriousness. Apparently, it is entirely serious, to the extent that Mullin met with airline industry executives last week to deliberate on the plans.
From my perspective, they should proceed with it — don’t just talk; take action. The fundamental question is whether United CEO Scott Kirby will continue to sing Trump’s praises if the airline’s entire international network