DHS Secretary Threatens International Travel at SFO over Sanctuary Policy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The federal government is exploring the removal of Customs and Border Protection officers from sanctuary cities.

New Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin suggested during an interview on Fox News's "Special Report" that sanctuary cities were acting unlawfully and could not be trusted to enforce immigration policy at airports.

"If they're a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?" Mullin asked during the interview. "If they're a sanctuary city and they're receiving international flights, and we're asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they're not going to enforce immigration policy — maybe we need to have a really hard look at that."

The move could ultimately see international flights stop at airports such as San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, two of the busiest in the United States.

"I’m going to have to be forced to make hard decisions," Mullin said. "Who is willing to work with us and partner with us?"

Mullin's comments are just the latest in the Trump Administration's battle with Democratic-led cities.

The Justice Department sued Los Angeles's Mayor and city council over its sanctuary city policies in June 2025. Republican California lawmakers just days earlier had also proposed a bill to repeal the state's sanctuary laws, accusing Gov. Gavin Newsom of creating policies that help incite violence against federal agents.

San Francisco passed its first version of a sanctuary ordinance in 1989 with the "City and County of Refuge" Ordinance.

In 2013, San Francisco passed the "Due Process for All" Ordinance, which limits when local police agencies may give ICE advance notice of a person’s release from local jail.

The ordinances were last updated in 2016, but reaffirmed last year to stand in unity against President Donald Trump's deportations of undocumented immigrants across the country.

"The Sanctuary Ordinance promotes public trust and cooperation," according to San Francisco officials. "It helps keep our communities safe by making sure that all residents, regardless of immigration status, feel comfortable calling the Police and Fire Departments during emergencies and cooperating with City agencies during public safety situations."