A proposal to remove Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in sanctuary cities could disrupt international travel, affect millions of passengers, and have major economic consequences.
The new secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, is threatening to pull U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from some airports across the United States. The highly controversial move, if approved, could halt international flights at major hubs, including Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, affecting millions of American travelers. What’s more, critics say it could cost the U.S. economy $70 billion.
Mullin, who took over from his unpopular predecessor, Kristi Noem, has floated the idea several times in recent weeks. He wants to remove agents from airports in “sanctuary cities,” cities that do not fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. According to the Department of Justice website, the list includes Boston, Denver, Chicago, Jersey City, New York City, Newark, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
For now, it remains a proposal that Mullin has discussed in media interviews. On Fox and Friends, he said he would not pull agents from every sanctuary city, but cited Newark as an example. “We have to prioritize where we put federal employees, because local law enforcement won’t help protect their streets, not federal streets, city streets and keep them from barricading and causing harm to our employees. Then we have to decide where we’re going to prioritize our federal employees. So, we’re not going to halt the flights. What we’re saying is we just won’t be able to process them.”
Continue Reading Article After Our Video
Recommended Fodor’s Video
Major U.S. airlines operate hubs at many of the airports where the secretary has proposed removing customs officers. If that were to happen, those airports would be unable to process international passenger and cargo flights. Airports would likely scramble to redirect traffic elsewhere, a Herculean task that could ultimately result in flight cancellations.
Chicago O’Hare, for example, is one of the busiest airports in the world and serves as a hub for both United and American Airlines. It operates more than 2,600 daily flights, including 132 nonstop routes to 67 international destinations. The disruption would affect not only travelers whose final destination is a sanctuary city but also hundreds of thousands of passengers making connecting flights.
Retracting agents from Newark alone would impact an estimated $8 billion per year in travel spending.
Collectively, airports in sanctuary cities handle 68 million passengers annually. Shutting down international flights at those airports could deal an economic blow estimated at $70 billion.
Officials within the Trump administration are not universally supportive of the proposal. Federal Aviation Administration chief Bryan Bedford said rerouting flights cannot happen on a whim and that opportunities to move flights from one airport to another are limited. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy also expressed opposition to the idea. “We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics,” he said during a congressional hearing.
Travel industry groups have also warned that removing officers from airports could create widespread disruption. Airlines for America wrote in a letter, “International aviation networks are highly interconnected, and operational changes at a small number of gateway airports will quickly ripple across the country, negatively impacting travelers, cargo shipments, supply chains, and the communities that depend on those connections.”
The group urged the government to avoid actions that could create unnecessary consequences for communities and businesses.
Decline in Tourists
Tourism in the United States has struggled since the Trump administration took office. Canadians, who traditionally make up the largest group of international visitors, reduced travel to the United States following the president’s comments about Canada becoming the 51st state. Tariffs have also been cited as a contributing factor.
Globally, anti-immigration policies and reports of detentions at American borders have unsettled some travelers, making them more cautious about visiting the United States. Additionally, the United States added a $250 integrity visa fee to the visa process and is introducing a policy that would require travelers from visa-exempt countries to share their social media profiles.
The result, according to tourism data cited by critics of the administration’s policies, is that 4 million fewer international tourists visited the United States in 2025 compared with 2024, while visitor spending declined by $8 billion.
Now, with the U.S.-led Iran war driving up jet fuel prices, businesses could face similar challenges in 2026.
Related: U.S. Bleeds Visitors, China Closes In on Top Tourism Spot
