Trump sanctuary city airport plan could disrupt flights

The Trump administration is drawing up plans to halt customs and immigration processing at airports in sanctuary cities, a move that could disrupt international arrivals and cargo at some of the busiest gateways in the United States.

Officials have not put the proposal in place. They are weighing it as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign against Democratic-run jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

The approach would shift the fight from city halls, police departments and local jails to a federal choke point inside airport terminals. International passengers and freight must clear customs and immigration on arrival, so any suspension could affect tourists, business travelers and imported goods moving through those airports.

Mullin said the administration was still preparing options rather than activating the policy. “We are currently — which we’re not initiating yet — but we’re currently drawing up plans,” he said in comments reported by Reuters.

In remarks reported by The Guardian, Mullin linked the idea to cities that do not help federal agents make immigration arrests. He asked why the government should keep processing international flights in jurisdictions that, in his view, refuse to let officers arrest people he described as “the worst of the worst.” Mullin told The Guardian: “If they’re going to not allow us to go out and arrest the ‘worst of the worst’… then why are we processing international flights into the airport there?”

Reuters said more than 50 million international travelers arrived at the three major New York airports last year. The news agency also reported that millions of foreign visitors are expected for next month’s FIFA World Cup. Any delay in federal inspections could slow cargo as well as passenger traffic because imported goods clear through the same federal system before release.

What is not clear

Sanctuary city policies generally limit how much local governments help federal immigration authorities. The airport proposal would not change those local rules. It would instead use federal control over arrival processing to increase pressure on the cities that keep the policies in place.

Neither Reuters nor The Guardian has reported a start date, a list of affected airports or details on how an order would work in practice. Airlines, airport operators, business groups and city officials have no public guidance on whether the proposal would apply to every overseas arrival or only selected gateways. International passengers also have no federal advisory beyond Mullin’s public warning.

No federal order had taken effect as of Tuesday, and neither report said customs or immigration processing had been suspended at any US airport. Both reports described Mullin’s remarks as part of an effort still in the planning stage.

If the administration moves ahead, the first effects would likely be felt at airports heading into peak summer schedules and preparing for next month’s World Cup travel.