The protests surrounding a hunger strike inside Delaney Hall in Newark have now reached the federal government’s most consequential threat yet—one that could affect millions of travelers and upend the World Cup before it even kicks off.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Tuesday he is “drawing up plans” to pull U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from airports in so-called sanctuary cities—a move that would effectively halt international flights coming into any airport that falls within one of the described cities. Newark Liberty International Airport, which handled more than 24 million international passengers last year, is directly in the crosshairs.
“They’re barricading our employees from coming in and out of the facility,” Mullin said on Fox News, referring to the ongoing protests at Delaney Hall. “Then, why are we processing international flights into the airport there?”
Beyond Newark, the cities potentially affected include New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle—airports that collectively handled nearly 74 million international travelers last year. Critics were quick to point out that ending customs processing wouldn’t divert flights to other airports. Instead, it would cancel them outright.
Airlines for America, the trade group representing most major U.S. carriers, warned the plan would have a “devastating effect on the airline and tourism industries,” according to The Hill. Former DHS official Juliette Kayyem called it “a serious distraction plan,” noting the cancellations would hit blue and red voters alike. Even fellow cabinet members aren’t fully on board—Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the idea doesn’t make sense, according to MS NOW.
Mullin stressed the plans have not been initiated yet. But the threat arrives just weeks before FIFA World Cup matches begin at MetLife Stadium, which will temporarily be re-named New York New Jersey Stadium for the duration of the tournament. With millions of international visitors already planning their trips to the region, the timing couldn’t be more fraught.
If enacted, such a move would be unprecedented. Newark mayor Ras Baraka was quick to strike back, stating to NewsNation that there is “no correlation between the right of peaceful assembly and the orderly operation of an international airport.”
Secretary Mullin looks to make the correlation.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.