National security experts and the airline industry are pushing back hard against Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s threat to pull U.S. Customs and Border Protection from international airport hubs.
Mullin floated the proposal during a recent appearance on Fox News, drawing swift and widespread criticism from those with deep knowledge of airport security and operations.
Critics have described the plan in stark terms, with one characterization calling it “shockingly naive or dumb” in its potential consequences for American travelers.
Experts argue the move would not selectively punish political opponents but would instead create significant disruption for Americans regardless of their political affiliation.
The airline industry has joined national security voices in cautioning against the proposal, signaling that opposition spans both the private sector and the policy community.
Mullin’s threat centers on pulling CBP from what he described as international hubs, which serve as critical processing points for travelers arriving from abroad.
Customs and Border Protection plays a central role in screening passengers and cargo entering the United States at major international airports across the country.
Removing those agents from key airports would, according to critics, create cascading delays and logistical breakdowns that would ripple across the broader national aviation network.
The backlash highlights the tension between using federal agency deployments as political leverage and maintaining the operational continuity that millions of travelers depend on daily.
Mullin’s proposal has quickly become a flashpoint in the broader debate over how federal resources and agencies should be deployed in politically charged disputes with city and state governments.