Travel industry faces severe impact as airport ‘sanctuary city’ crackdown looms

(SeaPRwire) –   The travel industry is experiencing significant challenges, and a potential crackdown on airports in “sanctuary cities” by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin could further jeopardize international flights.

During a meeting where the U.S. Travel Association was voicing concerns about other potential travel-hindering proposals from the Trump administration, Mullin confirmed he is considering withdrawing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from these airports. Both U.S. Travel and major airlines have swiftly denounced the idea, with even Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressing that it “doesn’t make sense.”

The U.S. Travel Association stated on Friday that such a measure would have “devastating consequences for the travel industry and communities that depend on international visitation.”

The details of this meeting were initially reported by The Atlantic.

Earlier this week, Duffy informed a Congressional hearing that he was not aware of Mullin’s remarks and wished to understand the context better, possibly by asking Mullin for clarification. However, Duffy asserted that restricting travel based on political viewpoints would be ill-advised, noting that political control can shift and that “you will all switch spots at one point — hopefully not too soon Mr. Chairman.”

Duffy elaborated, stating, “We have people from around the world and around the country that need to be able to fly into all different kinds of places. We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics.”

It remains unclear how much internal support this proposal has within the administration, although President Donald Trump has previously threatened to withhold funding from sanctuary cities.

There is no precise definition for “sanctuary policies” or “sanctuary cities,” but these terms generally refer to limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Past court rulings have rejected attempts to cut funding to such jurisdictions.

During Trump’s first term in office in 2017, courts invalidated his efforts to reduce funding to these cities.

While it is not yet clear which specific cities and airports Mullin might target, the Justice Department last year released a list of thirty-six states, cities, and counties it identifies as sanctuary jurisdictions.

Airlines for America, another trade group, quickly commented that the proposal would harm the economy and disrupt travel.

“Reducing CBP staffing at major airports would have a devastating effect on the airline and tourism industries, causing a significant operational disruption to carriers, travelers and the flow of international cargo.”