DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced a review of customs operations at major international airports in jurisdictions that call themselves sanctuary cities, questioning whether such localities should process international arrivals if they will not enforce immigration rules beyond the airport. He named LAX and JFK as possible examples and noted JFK handles about 3 million customs passengers monthly. Mullin said he will make difficult decisions within the law, push for stronger local-federal partnerships, and urged Congress to resolve a funding impasse that he says is putting DHS missions at risk.
DHS Chief Markwayne Mullin Says Customs At Major 'Sanctuary City' Airports Will Face Closer Review
Arriving U.S. citizens and Green Card holders stand in line to clear immigration at Newark international airport, Newark, N.J., Monday, March 9, 2026. The line is longer than usual as Global Entry and Mobile Passport Control services are currently shut down.(Fox News)
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Monday that DHS is considering tighter scrutiny — and potential limits — on customs operations at major international airports located in jurisdictions that identify as sanctuary cities.
In his first televised interview as DHS secretary on Fox News' Special Report, Mullin said the department will evaluate whether current arrangements for processing international arrivals are effective when localities decline to enforce immigration laws beyond airport boundaries.
President Donald Trump shook hands with newly sworn-in Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during a ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House on March 24, in Washington, D.C.
"If they're a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?" Mullin asked. "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."
Mullin cited Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) as examples of major customs hubs that could be reviewed; according to the Port Authority, roughly 3 million people clear customs at JFK each month. He said DHS will press partner jurisdictions to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement where required by law.
"I'm going to have to be forced to make hard decisions," Mullin said, adding that he intends to act within the bounds of policies enacted by Congress while urging local partners to work with the department.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the Department of Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on March 4, 2026.
Mullin also criticized sanctuary policies more broadly, calling their legal status questionable. "I believe sanctuary cities, it’s not lawful," he told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier. "I don't think they're able to do that. And so, we're going to take a hard look at this."
Mullin took the helm of DHS after his predecessor, Kristi Noem, was dismissed by President Donald Trump on March 5 amid controversy over her tenure. Mullin said he plans to empower career staff by ensuring they have the tools, assets, and manpower needed to carry out the department's mission.
At his confirmation hearing Mullin said he hopes to reduce the agency's high-profile media presence within six months and refocus DHS on its public-safety mission. He also warned that an ongoing partial government shutdown tied to DHS funding is placing missions at risk and urged Congress to set aside partisan differences.
As secretary, Mullin's pledge to reexamine partnerships with sanctuary jurisdictions at major international airports signals potential policy shifts that could affect how federal and local authorities coordinate on immigration enforcement at large passenger hubs.
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