DHS Threatens to Pull Officers from Sanctuary City Airports, Sparking Travel Chaos

Homeland Security Secretary warns international flights could be halted at San Francisco International Airport over sanctuary city policies.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 1:55am by Ben Kaplan

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A bold, geometric illustration in the Art Deco style depicting the towering, streamlined forms of an airport terminal, conveying the grand scale and disruption of international travel being threatened by the DHS.The potential removal of federal customs officers from sanctuary city airports could bring international travel to a grinding halt, with severe economic consequences.San Francisco Today

The Department of Homeland Security is considering removing Customs and Border Protection officers from airports located in sanctuary cities, including San Francisco International Airport. This move could effectively halt international travel through these airports, causing major disruptions for travelers. The threat comes as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on sanctuary cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Why it matters

San Francisco's status as a sanctuary city has put it at odds with the federal government's immigration policies. The potential removal of CBP officers from SFO would have severe economic and logistical consequences, grinding international travel through one of the busiest airports in the country to a halt.

The details

During an interview on Fox News, new DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the administration is looking at ending international flights into sanctuary city airports like SFO, where local authorities do not fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Mullin argued that if cities 'are not going to enforce immigration policy,' they should not be 'processing customs into their city.' The move would effectively halt international travel through affected airports, causing major disruptions for travelers.

  • On April 6, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin made the threat during an interview on 'Special Report with Bret Baier'.
  • The Trump administration previously deployed ICE agents to airports across the country during the 2019 government shutdown, but SFO was not affected since it contracts its own TSA agents.

The players

Markwayne Mullin

The new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, who is considering removing Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in sanctuary cities like San Francisco.

Gavin Newsom

The Governor of California, whose press office slammed the Trump administration's plan as potentially devastating to the economy.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Markwayne Mullin, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security

“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.”

— Gavin Newsom, Governor of California

What’s next

The Department of Homeland Security has not yet confirmed if or when it will move forward with removing CBP officers from sanctuary city airports. However, the threat has raised concerns about the potential economic and logistical impacts if international travel is disrupted at major hubs like San Francisco International.

The takeaway

The Trump administration's ongoing feud with sanctuary cities has now extended to international travel, with the DHS threatening to pull critical federal resources from airports in these jurisdictions. This move could have severe consequences for the economy and travelers, underscoring the high-stakes political battle over immigration enforcement.