Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has floated the possibility of curbing international flights into major sanctuary cities, triggering alarm across the airline industry and political backlash just weeks before the 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to bring millions of travelers into the United States.
The proposal, discussed during a recent interview on Fox News, would potentially target airports in Democratic-led cities that federal officials argue are unwilling to cooperate fully with immigration enforcement policies.
"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," Mullin said.
"I'm going to have to be forced to make hard decisions," he added.
The remarks immediately intensified concerns inside the travel sector, where executives are already preparing for one of the largest international tourism surges in U.S. history ahead of the World Cup. The tournament is expected to place extraordinary pressure on airports, hotels and border processing systems across major metropolitan areas including New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago.
According to reporting by The Atlantic, senior officials inside DHS remain uncertain whether the administration would actually pursue such restrictions, warning privately that the move could open a major political and legal battle at a sensitive moment for the White House.
One senior DHS official cited by The Atlantic reportedly said the administration is exploring broader methods to pressure sanctuary jurisdictions, including limiting access to certain federal immigration-related services such as green-card processing and citizenship applications.
The proposal arrives as President Donald Trump faces declining approval ratings on immigration issues in some national polling, even while continuing to make border enforcement a central pillar of his administration's agenda.
The reaction from Democratic officials was swift and deeply critical.
Gavin Newsom's official press account posted on X: "If you thought the economy was bad with Trump's war driving prices at the pump up ... just wait until international travel is halted at some of the busiest airports in the world."
"Talk about a stupid idea," the post added.
Industry groups representing airlines, airports and tourism operators also warned that restricting international flights could ripple far beyond immigration politics and damage the broader U.S. economy.
Airlines for America said reducing customs staffing or restricting international arrivals at major airports "would have a devastating effect on the airline and tourism industries, causing a significant operational disruption to carriers, travelers and the flow of international cargo."
U.S. Travel Association issued a similar warning, stating: "Domestic and international inbound travel alike, we urge governments at all levels to adopt policies that promote the free and efficient flow of legitimate travelers."
The pushback also extended into Trump's own Cabinet.
Sean Duffy told lawmakers during a House hearing that he had not been briefed on Mullin's comments and did not support shutting down travel access based on political disagreements.
"We shouldn't shut down air travel in a state that doesn't agree with our politics," Duffy said.
