The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday that the federal government may halt customs and immigration processing for international travelers and cargo at Newark Liberty International Airport unless local law enforcement in northern New Jersey changes its level of cooperation with federal immigration personnel.
"If things don’t change, we’re going to have to make this step pretty quick," Secretary Markwayne Mullin said during an interview on Fox News' "Fox and Friends," referring to the major United Airlines hub serving the New York metropolitan area.
Mullin said his department has encountered obstacles in getting federal immigration officers into and out of a New Jersey detention center because local police are not ensuring their movement. He said he could reassign Customs and Border Protection officers away from the airport if the situation does not improve.
"If (Customs) isn’t there processing international flights, then those individuals when the airlines land won’t be permitted into the United States," Mullin said.
Earlier this week, Mullin said the administration was preparing plans to stop processing international travelers and cargo at major U.S. airports in jurisdictions the Justice Department has listed as sanctuary cities or states that have declined to cooperate with an immigration crackdown. The move would target airports in cities that, according to the Justice Department list, have limited cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Officials and observers have noted that such a step could effectively halt international arrivals and international commerce at large airports located in Democratic-run jurisdictions. The timing raises particular concern because millions of international visitors are expected to travel to the United States for the start of the FIFA World Cup next month. The tournament final is scheduled for July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a venue roughly 12 miles from Newark airport.
Mullin publicly reiterated a position he first raised in April, and media reporting last week said he had privately warned U.S. travel industry executives that his department could elect to stop customs and immigration processing of international passengers.
The Justice Department published a list of so-called sanctuary cities and states that included many municipalities with major international airports. That list names Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, Seattle and San Francisco among its entries.
Democratic lawmakers and officials have called for reforms aimed at curbing alleged abuses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Those calls for reform include demands for changes following the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January.
The U.S. Travel Association warned that stopping international processing at major airports would have devastating consequences for the travel industry and for communities that rely on visitors from abroad. For context, more than 50 million international travelers arrived at the three major New York area airports combined last year, underscoring the scale of traffic that could be affected by any suspension of services.
Policy discussions remain ongoing, and the department's public statements indicate the option of suspending customs and immigration processing at selected airports remains under consideration unless local cooperation improves.