DHS Chief Floats Genius Sanctuary City Plan
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is now floating a proposal that would have sounded unthinkable just a few years ago: restricting international flights from landing in so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
The comments came during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News’ Hannity, where Mullin described ongoing tensions between federal immigration authorities and Democrat-run cities as the Trump administration escalates its nationwide immigration crackdown.
According to Mullin, the Department of Homeland Security is actively “drawing up” plans that could target cities refusing to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations by limiting or suspending the processing of inbound international flights.
“We’re currently drawing up plans to say, listen, in these sanctuary cities where the local, radical left Democrats aren’t allowing us to do our job and enforce federal laws, then we shouldn’t be processing international flights into their cities either,” Mullin said.
The remarks represent another dramatic escalation in the increasingly hostile standoff between the Trump administration and local governments that have adopted sanctuary policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Mullin specifically pointed to Newark, New Jersey, where protests have intensified around Delaney Hall, a large immigration detention facility capable of housing roughly 1,000 detainees. Demonstrators have repeatedly clashed with federal authorities outside the facility, accusing ICE and DHS officials of abusive detention practices and excessive force.
Federal officials, meanwhile, argue that local authorities are obstructing immigration enforcement and creating dangerous conditions for agents operating in the area.
“The street belongs to the city,” Mullin said during the interview. “They’re barricading our employees from coming in and out of the facility.”
The Trump administration has spent months ramping up pressure on sanctuary jurisdictions, arguing that local non-cooperation undermines federal law and contributes to illegal immigration. In several major cities, federal immigration raids have expanded significantly, often drawing large protests and fierce opposition from Democratic officials.
Trump has also deployed National Guard personnel to assist in some operations, intensifying accusations from critics who say the administration is militarizing immigration enforcement.
Mullin further claimed during the interview that DHS has arrested “tens of thousands” of gang members classified as terrorists, though he did not provide evidence or detailed figures supporting the statement.
The Newark situation has become one of the administration’s highest-profile flashpoints.
On Monday, tensions escalated outside Delaney Hall when ICE agents reportedly used pepper spray against protesters and New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim, who said he was attempting to mediate between demonstrators and federal agents.
Inside the facility, several detainees are reportedly participating in a hunger strike. Border czar Tom Homan added fuel to the controversy Tuesday when he stated that detainees would be force-fed “if it gets bad enough.”
Civil liberties advocates immediately blasted the administration’s latest rhetoric, arguing that restricting international flights to certain cities could raise major constitutional and economic questions while punishing local populations over political disagreements.
Supporters of the administration, however, argue the federal government has broad authority over immigration and international travel and say sanctuary policies amount to deliberate interference with federal law enforcement.