WASHINGTON, DC- There is more than one way to skin a cat, as the saying goes. Newly confirmed Department of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier Monday that the administration may take action against international airports operating in so-called “sanctuary” cities nationwide, run by radical leftists who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, The New York Post reports.
Appearing on “Special Report,” Mullin told Baier that targeting sanctuary cities that host international flights may be in the playbook to force compliance with federal immigration laws.
“Some of these cities have international airports–if they’re a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs in their city?” he asked Baier rhetorically.
Some sanctuary politicians have been leading a push to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol, which oversees customs at international gateways, including airports and cruise terminals.
“Seriously, 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 becaus ewe need to focus on cities that want to work with us,” Mullin continued.
Baier followed up by asking Mullin if sanctuary jurisdictions could “lose their customs.”
“Well, who processes those individuals when they walk off the plane? And so I’m going to have to be forced to make hard decisions.
The Post reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents operate at over 300 points of entry throughout the U.S.
Removing CBP from sanctuary city airports would mesh with the administration’s policy of terminating federal funding for sanctuary jurisdictions that prevent police departments and jails from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
Mullin suggested any such move could be either a complete removal of CBP agents from airports or a drawdown on the number of customs agents at those locations. That would lead to long lines for international travelers seeking to enter the country and for U.S. citizens seeking to re-enter the country. That could prove a headache for lawmakers, already facing backlash after Democrats refused to fund the TSA, leading to long lines at the nation’s airports. President Trump issued an executive order directing the TSA to pay the TSA agents despite a lack of congressional funding, practically daring Democrats to criticize the move.
ICE and CBP were not affected by the partial government shutdown because they were funded under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The Post reached out to DHS for comment, however no response was received.
While speaking with Baier, Mullin said that nearly three million illegal aliens have either self-deported or have been involuntarily deported since President Trump took office in January 2025.
“The last number that I’ve seen is we’ve deported between–either deported or self-deported–just shy of 3 million,” Mullin told the host.
The Post reported that in January, DHS estimated that 2.2 million illegals had self-deported, while 675,000 were forcibly removed from our country.
As an incentive, the administration offered $2,600 exit bonuses, free plane tickets, and forgiveness of fines for illegal aliens who voluntarily exit the U.S.
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