Republican senators signaled support for imposing consequences on sanctuary cities after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin floated a proposal to pull Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from airports in jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities."I think there should be consequences to cities and states that undercut federal law," Sen.Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital.
"I think they should pay a price for what they do.I agree with what he’s doing."Mullin has framed the proposal as a response to sanctuary cities that are limiting or refusing cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and disputes over immigration enforcement funding.MULLIN WEIGHS USING AIRPORT CUSTOMS AS LEVERAGE AGAINST SANCTUARY CITIESMarkwayne Mullin, secretary of Homeland Security, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 26, 2026.
(Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)The plan has received mounting backlash from Democrats as pulling these agents from blue city airports would halt all international travel into major airports.Without customs agents, passengers and cargo are unable to travel internationally, and would also impact Americans coming back to the United States after travelling overseas.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also expressed opposition to the idea, emphasizing the need for open travel.But, Mullin still says the idea is on the table and actively being considered."I think it’s a choice that those cities make and they’d have to weigh the consequences of it," Sen.
Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said."If they want to be a sanctuary city, they’ve made that choice and they’re getting a response now from Homeland Security."Other GOP senators said they had not yet reviewed the proposal and wanted additional details before weighing in."I don't know about this," Sen.
Josh Hawley, R-MO., said."Somebody else asked me about that, and I hadn’t seen that from ...