DHS Secretary Mullin Eyes Sanctuary City Airports for 'Hard Look’

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Monday that the Trump administration may take a "hard look" at customs enforcement at international airports located in sanctuary cities. In an interview with Fox News, Mullin questioned whether cities that refuse to enforce immigration policy should continue processing international flights and customs.

Media Coverage Comparison

· Left: The Daily Beast frames the proposal as "ICE Cowboy Plotting to Sabotage America's Biggest Airports," calling it "Turbulent Times." Coverage emphasizes that millions of international travelers come through these airports annually, with California alone seeing approximately 3.6 million foreign passengers in 2025.

· Center: Newsweek frames Mullin's remarks around "concern on social media," highlighting a post from California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office warning that halting international travel at major airports would harm the economy. Notes Mullin's ascension to lead DHS comes during "a moment of significant turmoil."

· Right: Breitbart calls the plan "novel," arguing it "bypasses prior lawsuits" that blocked federal officials from withholding appropriations for sanctuary cities. Asserts the plan would force "amnesty city Democrats into a very difficult choice" between supporting businesses that need international flights or siding with the migrant population.

Featured Coverage of this Story

· From the Left,Daily Beast (Left): "ICE Cowboy Plotting to Sabotage America's Biggest Airports"

· From the Center ,Newsweek (Center): "Markwayne Mullin's Sanctuary City Airport Remark Raises Concerns"

· From the Right, Breitbart News (Right): "Markwayne Mullin Threatens to Close 'Sanctuary Cities' International Airports" (Opinion)

PrismwireNews Observation

Here's what makes this different from typical immigration fights.

Previous sanctuary city battles focused on withholding federal grants which courts often blocked. Mullin is floating something else: using existing federal authority over customs processing. The federal government controls who enters the country. If a city won't cooperate after the airport, the argument goes, why should the airport be an entry point at all?

The coverage split is telling. Breitbart calls it "novel" and "serious" an end run around court losses. The Daily Beast calls it "sabotage" and frames Mullin as a "cowboy." Newsweek sits in the middle, tracking social media backlash without declaring the idea dead on arrival.

But notice what nobody is disputing: the federal government has legal authority over customs. The question isn't whether DHS can do this. It's whether they will and what happens to major cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco if they do.

The takeaway is this: the administration is looking for new levers after losing court battles on funding. Customs processing at airports is a powerful one. Whether this is a real policy proposal or just political pressure that's the open question.