Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he’s working on a plan that would shut down international flights that land at airports in sanctuary jurisdictions — a move to pressure anti-ICE politicians.
Mr. Mullin confirmed the idea, which he reportedly raised with travel executives last week, in an interview Tuesday on Fox News’ “Hannity” program.
“We’re currently drawing up plans to say listen, these sanctuary cities where the local radical left Democrats aren’t allowing us to do our job and enforce federal laws, then we shouldn’t be processing international flights into their cities, either,” the secretary said.
He stressed the idea hasn’t been initiated “yet.”
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, listens …
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He said places that hinder immigration enforcement shouldn’t benefit from the economic benefits of having migrants processed at their airports.
Customs and Border Protection, a DHS agency, mans the screening booths that review passports and check cargo at the international airports.
Refusing to process arrivals would likely mean cancellation of those flights, as experts said shifting to other airports would be almost impossible.
Mr. Mullin first floated the idea in April, soon after taking over as DHS secretary.
The Atlantic reported that he shared it with airline and travel executives this month, with possible sites Portland International Airport in Oregon, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Washington Dulles International Airport serving Washington.
The magazine reported that Mr. Mullin indicated the crackdown could begin after the U.S. finishes hosting soccer’s World Cup this summer.
Trump officials have been searching for leverage to make sanctuary jurisdictions feel some consequences for declining to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in collecting illegal immigrants from their prisons and jails.
Federal lawsuits against sanctuary jurisdictions have been swatted away by judges, who have ruled that U.S. law doesn’t require cooperation and have upheld state restrictions on ICE making arrests at courthouses.
States have tried to expand their sanctuary policies with laws barring federal immigration agents from wearing masks, though those have fared more poorly in the courts.
Striking at international travel could mean significant pain for local jurisdictions.
But immigrant rights activists say that cost would reach beyond the cities that Mr. Mullin is trying to pressure.
“This plan is actively insane,” Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said on social media.
