The Trump administration is reportedly considering a plan to halt the processing of international flights at airports located in so-called 'sanctuary cities', a move that would directly impact Australian travelers heading to popular destinations such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Proposal Targets Sanctuary Cities
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin proposed the crackdown on cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. These cities, predominantly led by Democrats, have adopted policies that limit local law enforcement's involvement in identifying, detaining, or deporting undocumented immigrants.
'Why are we processing international flights into the airport there?' Mullin questioned in an interview with Fox News. '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 jobs and enforce federal laws, then we shouldn't be processing international flights into their cities either. Because they don't want us to enforce immigration, but they want us to process immigration at their facilities.'
Impact on Australian Travelers
If the plan proceeds, Australians would lose direct flight access to Los Angeles and San Francisco, two of the most frequented US destinations. Currently, Dallas remains the only other mainland US city with direct flights from Australia, but it is not a sanctuary city and would be unaffected. However, Dallas is farther from California and only offers direct flights from Sydney.
Australians wishing to visit Los Angeles would face a lengthy journey: a 16-hour flight from Sydney to Dallas, followed by a three-hour flight back to California. Alternatively, travelers could opt for a stopover in Hawaii before continuing to Los Angeles.
Economic Concerns
American economist Patrick Chovanec criticized the proposal, calling it 'a stupid idea'. He warned that cutting off major ports of entry like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago from international flights would be a severe self-inflicted economic wound, comparable to closing the Strait of Hormuz. 'The costs would be ridiculous. It's really such an impressively stupid idea, I'm kind of in awe,' Chovanec remarked.
Direct routes to New York and Boston from Auckland would also be blocked under the plan. Other sanctuary cities that could be affected include Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, and Philadelphia.
