DHS threatens to halt customs processing at airports in sanctuary cities
Major airports across the country could soon freeze customs processing and cancel all international flights if sanctuary cities continue bucking federal immigration enforcement operations.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that he might pull out Customs and Border Patrol agents from airports in sanctuary cities. CBP agents are responsible for performing security inspections of international travelers, so a complete withdrawal would cripple airports’ processing of international flights.
Mullin said that because sanctuary cities forbid local law enforcement from working with federal immigration agents and generally allow rowdy protests against agents, DHS will “have to decide where we’re going to prioritize our federal employees.”
“We’ve got to prioritize federal police officers, and that may affect international flights coming in and out of their airport. Because I’m going to have to pull Customs and Border Protection officers out of being able to process international flights and put them helping our ICE agents,” Mullin told FOX News in a clip posted Thursday.
“If things don’t change, we’re going to have to make this step pretty quick,” he added. “Because I’m not going to put my employees and my ICE agents at risk.”
Mullin’s plan, if carried out, would force airlines to halt all international flights to the impacted airports, triggering an economic and logistical nightmare for the airline and tourism industries.
Airports DHS would target include New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport; Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport; Boston’s Logan International Airport; Denver International Airport; Philadelphia International Airport; Newark Liberty International Airport; Los Angeles International Airport; San Francisco International Airport; Portland International Airport; Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; and potentially others.
Removing CBP agents from those airports would also create a ripple effect on airports in non-sanctuary jurisdictions. Those airports could get overwhelmed by increased flights and passengers rerouted from the international travel hubs targeted by DHS.
Mullin’s ultimatum is the latest example of the Trump administration pressuring Democrat-led states and cities to comply with federal immigration enforcement operations.
The administration has sued multiple jurisdictions in California, Illinois, New York, Colorado for enacting policies that violate federal immigration law. President Donald Trump has also threatened to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities.
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Latest News Stories
Executive Committee: Speaker VanDuyne and Member Butler Clash Over Removal of Committee Chair
Finance Committee: County Appropriates Fees from $25 Million Wilmington Warehouse Project
Capital Imp Committee: Begins Drafting Policy to Regulate Artificial Intelligence in County Government
Public Health Committee Chair Demands Animal Control Agreements for Crete, Monee
Public Works Committee Considers Taking Over Kankakee County Line Road to Expedite Bridge Repairs
Peotone Man Charged With Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Damage at New Lenox Target
Executive Committee: Update to Land Resource Management Plan; Solar Farms and Rural Zoning Dominate Discussion
Will County Committee Adds Path to Citizenship Support to Federal Agenda
Health Department Outlines Major Reduction in Consensus Vaccine Schedule
Public Works Committee Forwards Condemnation Proceedings for Francis and Marley Road Improvements
Finance Committee: Scholarship Tax Credit Discussion Halts
Will County Health Department Reports Rise in Respiratory Illnesses, Updates on Facility Issues
