Travel industry groups and federal transportation officials reacted quickly after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reiterated a threat to pull U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in “sanctuary cities,” warning it could interfere with international flights and the flow of travelers and cargo.
In a statement carried by the U.S. Travel Association, the trade group said Mullin confirmed during a meeting that he is considering withdrawing CBP officers from those airports. The statement said the industry believes such a staffing change could harm travel and tourism, including communities that rely on international visitation.
The U.S. Travel Association argued that the proposal would have “devastating consequences for the travel industry and communities that depend on international visitation.” The group also said that reducing CBP staffing at major airports would disrupt carriers, travelers and international cargo.
Major airlines and other industry groups condemned the idea, according to the report. The details of the meeting where the concerns were pressed were first reported by The Atlantic, the Associated Press reported.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, speaking earlier in congressional testimony, said he was not familiar with Mullin’s remarks and that he would like to learn more about the context before any conclusions are drawn. Duffy added that it would be a bad idea to start restricting travel based on political views.
Duffy told lawmakers that, at some point, Democrats would be in charge and that officials would “switch spots,” adding: “you will all switch spots at one point — hopefully not too soon Mr. Chairman,” as cited in the Associated Press report. He also said: “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,” and: “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,” as quoted in the report.
It was not clear, the Associated Press reported, how widely the idea is supported within the administration. The report noted that President Donald Trump has previously threatened to withhold funding from sanctuary cities, and it said there is no strict definition for “sanctuary” policies or “sanctuary cities.”
The report said the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It also noted that courts have rejected the idea of pulling funding from sanctuary jurisdictions in the past, including an effort in Trump’s first term that in 2017 led to court rulings striking down funding cuts.
The Justice Department last year published a list of dozens of states, cities and counties it considers to be sanctuary jurisdictions, according to the Associated Press report. It was not clear, the report said, which specific cities and airports Mullin might target under the staffing threat.
The Associated Press story included a correction after publication, saying it corrected a reference to Customs and Border Protection in a prior version.