White House Weaponizes Customs Processing in Pre-World Cup Strike on Sanctuary Cities

The Trump administration is drawing up plans to suspend immigration and customs processing at major airports located in so-called “sanctuary cities,” primarily in Democrat-run states that have resisted federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed the discussions in an interview on Fox News’ The Sean Hannity Show on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. He stated that authorities “shouldn’t be processing international flights into” cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration laws. However, Mullin noted that no final decision had been made on whether to proceed with the measure.

The proposed action would affect millions of international travellers expected to arrive in the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins in June and is co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada. Major international hubs such as New York’s JFK, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other airports in sanctuary cities could see significant disruptions to passenger and cargo arrivals.

Sanctuary cities are jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, often by restricting local police from detaining individuals solely for immigration violations. In August 2025, the US Justice Department published a list of cities and states it considers to be impeding federal immigration laws. The majority are led by Democrats and include major urban centres such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Denver, Seattle, and San Francisco.

The Trump administration has intensified immigration enforcement since taking office, deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and National Guard troops to several of these cities. This has led to tensions, protests, and occasional violent incidents, including the fatal shooting of two US citizens during altercations with agents in Minnesota.

Meanwhile, the travel industry has strongly criticised the potential move. The US Travel Association warned of “devastating consequences” for tourism and local economies dependent on international visitors. Airlines for America described the plan as likely to cause “significant operational disruption” to carriers, travellers, and cargo flows.

Even within the Trump administration, there has been pushback. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy told a Congressional hearing last week that restricting travel based on political differences would be “a bad idea,” noting the importance of keeping air travel open across all states.

The plans form part of the administration’s wider crackdown on irregular immigration and mass deportation operations. Democrats in Congress have opposed the policies, withholding funding for the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year, which contributed to a temporary shutdown of the department until a funding bill was signed in late April.

The timing ahead of the FIFA World Cup which is expected to bring millions of international visitors, adds logistical and economic complexity to the proposal. No final decision has been announced, and implementation details remain unclear.