The travel industry is on edge after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reiterated his threat to withdraw U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in so-called “sanctuary cities,” a move that could jeopardize international flights.
Industry concerns escalate
The U.S. Travel Association revealed that Mullin confirmed he is considering withdrawing CBP officers during a meeting where the trade group was pressing its concerns about other proposals the Trump administration is considering that could hamper travel. U.S. Travel and major airlines quickly condemned the idea, and even Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said it does not make sense to him.
“U.S. Travel believes such a move would have devastating consequences for the travel industry and communities that depend on international visitation,” the industry group stated on Friday.
Details of the meeting were first reported by The Atlantic.
Duffy expresses skepticism
Duffy told a Congressional hearing earlier this week that he was not familiar with Mullin’s remarks and would like to learn more about the context, perhaps asking Mullin what he meant. However, Duffy said it would be a bad idea to start restricting travel based on political views. After all, at some point Democrats will be in charge and “you will all switch spots at one point — hopefully not too soon Mr. Chairman,” Duffy remarked.
“We have people from around the world and around the country that need to be able to fly into all different kinds of places. We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics,” Duffy added.
Uncertain support within administration
It is not clear how much support this idea has within the administration, though President Donald Trump has previously threatened to withhold funding from sanctuary cities. There is no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Courts have rejected the idea of pulling funding from them in the past. During Trump’s first term in 2017, courts struck down his effort to cut funding to such cities.
It remains unclear which cities and airports Mullin might target, but the Justice Department last year published a list of three dozen states, cities, and counties it considers sanctuary jurisdictions.
Airlines warn of economic impact
The Airlines for America trade group was quick to say the idea would hurt the economy and disrupt travel. “Reducing CBP staffing 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,” the group said.
