Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is under fire for a proposed plan to withdraw Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents from airports in Democrat-run sanctuary cities. The idea, floated during a Fox News appearance, was a response to protests outside a migrant detention centre in Delaney, New Jersey. Critics warn it would cause widespread travel chaos.
Juliette Kayyem, a former DHS official under Barack Obama, called the move “a catastrophe,” noting that major airports are already at capacity and that many affected travellers would be Americans, including those from Republican-leaning states. “This idea that this is only going to hurt blue people in blue cities is shockingly naive,” she told The Hill.
Airlines for America, the industry trade group, echoed concerns, stating that reducing CBP staffing would “have a devastating effect on the airline and tourism industries.” Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council warned of flight cancellations and stranded travellers. Even Transport Secretary Sean Duffy opposed the plan, telling a congressional hearing, “We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics.”
Mullin argued that sanctuary cities should not benefit from federal immigration processing if they obstruct enforcement. He suggested redeploying CBP agents to support ICE, despite their lack of enforcement training. The proposal has drawn criticism from former Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who mocked Mullin’s background as a plumber, saying, “A hundred million illegal aliens is not a leaky faucet.”
