The Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States, Markwayne Mullinsaid that the Government of donald trump is drawing up plans to stop processing international travelers and cargo at large U.S. airports in “sanctuary cities” that have refused to cooperate with an immigration crackdown.
The move could effectively paralyze international air travel and commerce at major airports in Democratic states, when millions of foreign tourists are expected to arrive for the start of the World Cup. Fifa next month.
Mullin said to Sean Hannityof Fox News Channel, in an interview aired Tuesday that he had met with White House officials but stressed that no decision had been made about whether to move forward.
“Currently — although we are not yet starting them — we are developing plans,” he said Mullin.
“We should not be processing international flights to their cities,” he added, referring to the “sanctuary cities“, where he noted that “local radical left Democrats are not allowing us to do our job and enforce federal laws.”
Last week, Reuters and other media reported that Mullin He had privately told U.S. travel executives that his department could choose to halt customs and immigration procedures for international travelers.
He Department of Justice The United States released a list of so-called sanctuary cities and states, which included many cities with large international airports. Among them were Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, Seattle and San Francisco.
Mullin He first publicly made the threat in April during a dispute over his department’s funding, but said Tuesday that the idea was under active consideration.
Democrats say reforms are needed to curb government abuses Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection (known as ICE and CBPrespectively, for their acronym in English), including the death of two American citizens in Minneapolis in January at the hands of their agents.
The United States Travel Associationwhich represents large airlines, hotels, car rental companies and other companies in the tourism sector, told Reuters on Friday that their representatives had met with Mullin.
Mullin “confirmed his previous comments that the Government is considering removing civil servants from the CBP of international airports in certain sanctuary cities,” the Association added in a statement to Reuters.
He also warned of devastating consequences for the travel industry and communities dependent on international visitors. More than 50 million international travelers arrived at New York’s three major airports alone last year.
Reducing customs staff at large airports would significantly disrupt airline operations, travelers and the flow of international cargo, it said last week. Airlines for Americaa grouping of major passenger and cargo airlines.
