DHS Threatens to Remove Customs Officers at Sanctuary City Airports

Potential move could impact airports in the Washington, D.C. metro area

Apr. 9, 2026 at 2:40pm

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A dynamic, abstract painting featuring overlapping, fragmented shapes and lines in shades of blue, grey, and red, conceptually representing the disruption and uncertainty surrounding the potential removal of customs officers from airports in sanctuary cities.The threat to remove customs officers from sanctuary city airports could create chaos and delays for international travelers in the Washington, D.C. region.Washington Today

The Department of Homeland Security is considering removing U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from airports located in sanctuary cities, a move that could deepen staffing challenges at U.S. airports already dealing with a TSA worker shortage. This potential decision could affect airports in the Washington, D.C. metro area, including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles International Airport in Virginia, as well as Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland.

Why it matters

The removal of customs officers from airports in sanctuary cities is part of the Biden administration's broader crackdown on such jurisdictions. This move could create significant disruptions and delays for international travelers passing through the affected airports, potentially harming the local economy and tourism industry in the D.C. region.

The details

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said his department was taking "a hard look" at how sanctuary cities are handled and if they need Customs officers in airports. "Some of these cities have international airports; if they are a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?" Mullin said in an interview with Fox News. While Washington, D.C. is considered a sanctuary jurisdiction, it does not have any major international airports. However, the airports serving the D.C. metro area, such as Reagan National and Dulles in Virginia, as well as BWI in Maryland, could be impacted by this potential policy change.

  • In an interview this week, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the department was considering removing customs officers from airports in sanctuary cities.
  • Earlier this year, President Donald Trump said he plans on withholding federal funds from areas the federal government considers sanctuary jurisdictions.

The players

Markwayne Mullin

The current Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, who said his department was taking "a hard look" at how sanctuary cities are handled and if they need Customs officers in airports.

Abigail Spanberger

The Governor of Virginia, who stated that "Virginia is not a sanctuary state. Full stop." and that state agencies would no longer put their police officers under the supervision and direction of ICE agents.

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What they’re saying

“Some of these cities have international airports; if they are a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?”

— Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

“Virginia is not a sanctuary state. Full stop. My executive orders (are that) Virginia state agencies would no longer and principally state police, as the largest of the state law enforcement agencies, would no longer put their police officers, their troopers, under the supervision and direction of ICE agents.”

— Abigail Spanberger, Governor of Virginia

What’s next

The Department of Homeland Security is currently reviewing its policies regarding customs officers at airports in sanctuary cities. If the department moves forward with removing customs officers, it could create significant disruptions and delays for international travelers passing through affected airports in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

The takeaway

This potential policy change by the Department of Homeland Security highlights the ongoing tensions between the federal government and sanctuary cities over immigration enforcement. The removal of customs officers could have far-reaching consequences for the local economy and travel industry in the Washington, D.C. region, underscoring the need for a collaborative approach to address these complex issues.