Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned Democrat-run sanctuary cities that if they refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, DHS may reconsider customs processing at their international airports.
In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Mullin pointed to a specific pressure point: cities that rely on federal enforcement when international flights land but refuse to cooperate once those same travelers enter the country.
🚨 BOOM: DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin drops the hammer on sanctuary cities, they could lose CBP customs processing at airports until they start complying with federal immigration law. pic.twitter.com/oWmxst0fsZ
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) April 6, 2026
“I believe sanctuary cities is not lawful. I don’t think they’re able to do that. And so we’re going to take a hard look at this.
This one area we may take a hard look at is some of these cities have international airports. If they’re sanctuary cities, should they really be processing customs into their city?
Seriously, if they’re a sanctuary city and they’re receiving international flights, and we’re asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they’re not going to enforce immigration policy, maybe we need to have a really hard look at that, because we need to focus on cities that want to work with us.”
Baier asked whether major sanctuary cities could lose customs processing at their airports.
“I’m saying we’re going to have to start prioritizing things at some point. Right now, remember, the Democrats are wanting to defund Customs and Border Patrol. Well, who processes those individuals and walk off the plane? So, I’m going to have to be forced to make hard decisions. Who’s willing to work with us and partner with us?”
Democrat-run sanctuary cities want federal enforcement when planes land and travelers move through customs. Once those same people step outside the airport, those cities refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
You don’t get both.
Mullin is considering forcing cities to choose between those two positions. If a city benefits from federal enforcement at the airport, DHS is now questioning whether that city should continue receiving full support when it declines to cooperate once travelers enter the city.
He tied that directly to the funding fight. In the full interview, Mullin said DHS is facing pressure while still required to enforce the law Congress passed.
“As secretary, Brett, I don’t get to pick and choose which policies I enforce. I enforce all the policies that Congress put on my plate… we’re a nation of laws, so we simply enforce laws.”
That tradeoff is no longer being ignored.
That puts sanctuary jurisdictions in a bind of their own making. They rely on federal enforcement at the point of entry and resist it once individuals are inside their borders.
If DHS follows through, the effects would show up quickly. Customs processing depends on federal officers, and major international airports depend on that staffing. Fewer officers or lower priority means longer waits, slower processing, and potential rerouting. Blue-city leaders who have built political brands around resisting immigration enforcement would feel that pressure fast.
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Mullin also said the administration wants to keep enforcement agencies from becoming bargaining chips again later in the fiscal fight.
Democrats defend sanctuary cities while pushing for less immigration enforcement and less support for the agencies that carry it out. The same jurisdictions still expect the federal government to keep customs operations running at their airports.
Sanctuary cities want federal enforcement at the airport and less enforcement once people step into the city. Mullin is making it clear that arrangement could soon be ending.
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