Millions of international soccer fans traveling to the United States for the FIFA World Cup may encounter difficulties entering the country due to potential customs shutdowns at airports in several host cities.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced plans to halt customs operations at airports in sanctuary cities, which do not permit federal law enforcement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal immigrants in local jails. Mullin stated, "We are currently drawing up plans to say, ‘Listen, in these sanctuary cities where the local radical Left Democrats aren’t allowing us to do our job and enforce federal laws, then we shouldn’t be processing international flights into their cities either because they don’t want us to enforce immigration.'"
The 11 cities designated to host the World Cup are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. Among these, only Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Kansas City are not classified as sanctuary cities, which means customs officers could be withdrawn from the other locations, impacting international travel.
A review of aviation analytics indicated that three of the seven sanctuary host cities contain four of the busiest airports for international travel in the U.S. These include New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport, which reported significant international flight activity.
Mullin, who took office in March, has expressed intentions to reduce customs screening for travelers arriving in sanctuary cities. He mentioned that if these cities are not cooperating with federal immigration policies, a reassessment of customs operations may be necessary.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responsible for inspecting individuals and goods entering the country, and customs officers are stationed at various entry points, including international airports. In response to Mullin's statements, Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) criticized the plan, calling it “one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.”
