Transportation Secretary Opposes Plan to Halt Customs Processing at Sanctuary City Airports

Airline trade groups and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have opposed a proposal from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to halt customs processing at airports in sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

The proposal was first mentioned by Mullin in an April Fox News interview and raised again during a May 13 meeting with airline and travel industry leaders. Trade associations representing the airline industry stated that reducing customs staffing at major airports would cause significant operational disruption to carriers, travelers, and international cargo.

Duffy addressed the proposal during a House Budget Committee hearing on Thursday. He said people from around the world and around the country need to be able to fly into different places and that air travel should not be shut down in a state that does not agree with federal politics.

Mullin told Fox News that sanctuary cities receiving international flights should partner with federal authorities at airports. He added that cities unwilling to enforce immigration policy after passengers leave the airport should be reviewed.

Critics have argued that sanctuary policies prevent the deportation of violent criminals when local jails ignore detainer requests from federal immigration authorities. The Department of Justice published a list in August of 12 states and 18 cities that do not cooperate with such requests.

Four of those cities — Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and New York — are home to four of the six busiest airports in America by 2025 passenger volume. Approximately 50 million international travelers arrived at New York City's three main airports in 2025.