Trump Administration Threatens to Halt Immigration Processing at Sanctuary City Airports

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced that the Trump administration was actively considering plans to stop processing international travelers and cargo at major airports in sanctuary cities including New York, Los Angeles, Newark, Chicago, Seattle, and San Francisco. Mullin stated the plans were "under active consideration" and "drawing up," explicitly tying the punitive measure to local resistance to federal immigration enforcement. He questioned why sanctuary cities would expect immigration processing if they refuse to enforce immigration laws. The threat came in response to Memorial Day weekend protests outside a Newark detention facility and represents an unprecedented weaponization of federal immigration infrastructure to punish cities for policy disagreements. While not yet implemented, the threat alone signals potential disruption to international travel and commerce at major Democratic-controlled hubs. This escalates the administration's January 2026 sanctua...

"Why would sanctuary cities expect immigration processing if they are not enforcing immigration laws?" — Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaking about plans under active consideration to halt immigration processing at sanctuary city airports