Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently threatened to disrupt American airports due to protests happening outside an immigration detention center in New Jersey. Mullin mentioned on Fox News Tuesday that the Trump administration is “currently making plans” to stop processing international flights at airports in so-called sanctuary cities, where local police don’t work with federal immigration enforcement. This threat came after protests at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark, where immigrants have been on a hunger and work strike for five days, asking for basic medical care and better conditions.
To clarify what Mullin is suggesting, Customs and Border Protection and the TSA, which are both part of his department, manage international arrivals at airports like Newark Liberty.
Mullin is threatening to pull these federal services from major U.S. airports, which would disrupt international travel for millions of travelers, businesses, and airlines, as a way to punish cities where Democrats are protesting detention conditions.
This would be punishing entire cities and their economies for the political actions of their elected officials.
Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) was pepper-sprayed by ICE officers at the protest on Monday. Mullin accused Kim and other Democratic lawmakers of spreading “smears” and staging “political stunts.”
On the other hand, Congressman Adriano Espaillat was allowed to visit the Delaney Hall facility on Wednesday for an oversight check.
His evaluation was clear: “The food conditions are terrible. They aren’t receiving medical care. They’re overcrowded and are being denied their basic rights.” That’s not a smear; it’s a finding from congressional oversight.
Mullin framed his threat as a matter of fairness, questioning why the federal government should handle flights into cities that limit cooperation with ICE.
However, sanctuary policies don’t stop ICE from operating; they only limit some cooperation between local police and federal immigration agents. This isn’t obstruction; it’s federalism.
What Mullin is suggesting—using airport services as a political weapon against cities where residents and lawmakers disagree with the administration—is an abuse of power so shocking it’s hard to believe he actually said it on Fox News.
People are protesting because a senator was pepper-sprayed and detainees are going hungry. Mullin’s reaction is to threaten your flight home.
This kind of typical bullying response has become common in everything the Trump administration does.
We must not let this behavior become the norm.
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