So here's a fun idea: what if, in the middle of a government shutdown that's already causing chaos at airports, the Department of Homeland Security decided to pull Customs and Border Patrol officers from some of the busiest airports in the country? That's apparently what Trump's new DHS Secretary, Markwayne Mullin, is floating—and California Governor Gavin Newsom is not having it.
Newsom's press office took to X on Monday to deliver a blistering critique. "If you thought the economy was bad with Trump's war driving prices at the pump up," the post read, "just wait until international travel is halted at some of the busiest airports in the world." The punchline? "Talk about a stupid idea." Strong words, but then again, we're talking about airports like LAX and JFK, where removing customs agents could literally stop international flights in their tracks.
Mullin, in a Fox News interview earlier that day, hinted at this possibility when asked about sanctuary cities—those places like Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. He said the DHS wants to work with cities that "were willing to cooperate" and accused Democrats of wanting to defund CBP. "I'm gonna have to be forced to make hard decisions," he warned. Translation: if you don't play ball on immigration, your airports might lose the people who process incoming international travelers.
Now, let's pause here and remember the context. The U.S. is currently 53 days into a partial government shutdown that started on February 14, all because lawmakers can't agree on funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has been begging Republicans to end their recess and get back to work to "actually reopen the Department of Homeland Security." Meanwhile, TSA workers have been showing up without pay, many have quit, and airports are a mess. Trump did sign an order to pay TSA salaries, but the administration also deployed ICE agents to airports to help with staffing shortages—a move that's drawn plenty of criticism. Oh, and Trump's approval ratings? They're hitting new lows, thanks to the shutdown and the war with Iran.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) has piled on, accusing Republicans of blocking TSA funding to pressure Congress into passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act—a bill that would require voters to prove U.S. citizenship and show a photo ID to vote. It's all getting very tangled, like a bureaucratic knot no one can untie.
And just when you thought it couldn't get more complicated, here comes the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Scheduled to kick off in June this year across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, it's arguably the biggest sporting event on the planet. Hundreds of thousands of people from around the globe will be flying in to cheer on their teams. Imagine the scene: fans from dozens of nationalities arriving at LAX or JFK, only to find no customs agents to process them because of a political spat over sanctuary cities. That's not just a logistical nightmare; it's a recipe for total gridlock.
So Newsom's outrage makes a lot of sense. Pulling CBP officers from sanctuary airports isn't just a "stupid idea" in his view—it's a potential disaster waiting to happen, especially with the World Cup on the horizon and a government shutdown already straining the system. As Mullin ponders those "hard decisions," travelers and lawmakers alike are left wondering how much more chaos the airports can handle.
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