El Paso Mayor Awaits Answers on Sudden Airspace Closure

City leaders still in the dark about Trump administration's decision to ground flights for hours with no prior warning.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Roughly 24 hours after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shut down airspace over El Paso, Texas, before quickly reversing the decision, the city's mayor said he still has not received any information from the Trump administration on the reason for the temporary ground stop. The abrupt closure resulted in the grounding of flights to and from El Paso International Airport and caused chaos and confusion in the community, with medical evacuation flights diverted and residents unsure of what was happening.

Why it matters

The sudden and unexplained airspace closure over El Paso has raised concerns about transparency and communication between federal agencies and local officials, especially in a major border city. The incident disrupted critical air travel and emergency services, underscoring the need for clear protocols and coordination during such events.

The details

Late Tuesday night, the FAA advised that temporary restrictions over the airspace above El Paso and southern New Mexico would go into effect at 1:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday. But despite the agency saying the restrictions would last for 10 days, the administration lifted them less than eight hours later. Trump administration officials claimed the closure stemmed from Mexican cartel drones breaching U.S. airspace, but local Congresswoman Veronica Escobar said the White House is spreading 'misinformation' about the cause. An administration official also told NewsNation that the FAA Administrator made the decision to close the airspace without alerting other agencies.

  • On Tuesday night, the FAA advised of temporary airspace restrictions over El Paso and southern New Mexico starting at 1:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday.
  • The airspace restrictions were lifted less than 8 hours later on Wednesday morning.

The players

Renard Johnson

The Democratic mayor of El Paso, Texas, a city of roughly 680,000 residents.

Veronica Escobar

A Democratic Congresswoman whose district includes most of El Paso.

Sean Duffy

The U.S. Transportation Secretary under the Trump administration.

Bryan Bedford

The FAA Administrator who decided to close the airspace over El Paso without alerting other agencies.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“When we woke up, what we were told was everything is grounded and there was no information, but our city was going to be shut down for 10 days. And that's all the information we got.”

— Renard Johnson, Mayor of El Paso (CNN News Central)

“The FAA and Defense Department 'acted swiftly to address a cartel incursion' near the southern border and the threat was 'neutralized'.”

— Sean Duffy, U.S. Transportation Secretary (Social media)

“The White House is spreading 'misinformation' on what caused the restrictions.”

— Veronica Escobar, U.S. Congresswoman (The Hill)

What’s next

The mayor said the city's emergency operations center 'should have been looped in' and that the administration's actions 'created complete chaos and confusion in our community'. The FAA and Pentagon have not provided further details on the reasons for the airspace closure.

The takeaway

The sudden and unexplained airspace closure over El Paso has raised concerns about transparency and communication between federal agencies and local officials, especially in a major border city. The incident disrupted critical air travel and emergency services, underscoring the need for clear protocols and coordination during such events.