President Trump proposes privatizing TSA inspection services
President Donald Trump has proposed starting to privatize the Transportation Security Administration’s airport security services to save money.
U.S. airports, already under intense scrutiny in recent months due to unusually long wait times caused by the partial government shutdown, could face further disruption.
Mark Wayne Mullin, the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, told Fox News this week that he is considering withdrawing Customs and Border Protection agents from airports in sanctuary cities, a move that would cripple some of the nation’s largest travel hubs.
“Some of these cities have international airports,” Marin said in an interview.
“If they are a sanctuary city, should they really handle customs in their city?”
The Secretary of Homeland Security doubled down on his threat, saying, “If they’re a sanctuary city, they’re hosting international flights, and we’re asking them to work with us at the airport, but once they’re outside the airport, they’re not going to enforce their immigration policies. Maybe we need to take a serious look at that.”
So what is a sanctuary city, and how could it impact New York City?
What is a sanctuary city?
The range of cities that could be affected by Marin’s policy ideas is much wider.
According to Global Refuge, sanctuary cities are areas where the information given to federal immigration officials is limited.
Last year, the Department of Justice released a list of cities it had designated as sanctuary jurisdictions.
That list includes:
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Berkeley
- boston
- chicago
- denver
- East Lansing, Michigan
- Hoboken, New Jersey
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Los Angeles
- new orleans
- new york city
- newark new jersey
- Paterson, New Jersey
- philadelphia
- portland oregon
- Rochester, New York
- seattle
- san francisco
Multiple cities in the New York City metropolitan area are listed, including New York City, Newark, New Jersey, and Hoboken, New Jersey.
Which airports in New York City are affected?
The government’s list of sanctuary cities could result in the loss of CBP employees to airports in the region, including LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports.
“We’re going to have to make some difficult decisions,” Marin said.
“I’m not going to deviate from the policy that Congress passed, and we’re not trying to push it forward, but I’m saying we need to work together.”
What does it mean if a customs officer is taken from a sanctuary city’s airport?
Mullin said if sanctuary cities don’t comply, authorities could stop Border Patrol from processing international flights at some of the nation’s largest airports.
It wasn’t immediately clear how Mullin plans to implement the rule or whether that’s what DHS plans to implement.
“I believe in sanctuary cities, but it’s not legal,” he told Fox News.
“I don’t think they can do that. So we’re going to take a hard look at this.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom went to X and denounced the idea as stupid.
“If you think President Trump’s wars are causing prices to go up and the economy is bad…wait until some of the world’s busiest airports shut down international travel,” his news organization’s account posted.
“Talk about a stupid idea (no wonder the Trump administration is considering it).”
