WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced a plan Monday to redeploy U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from airports to the Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey. He later stated the move would not be necessary as long as state and local law enforcement continued to support security at the site.
Mullin said during a news conference in Dallas that he has a plan to pull CBP officers from airports to help with security at the Delaney Hall ICE facility. “As long as we continue to have this partnership with local and state law enforcement then there will be no need to do so,” he told reporters.
The secretary’s remarks followed recent developments at the Newark facility, where federal immigration enforcement agents had been facing off against protesters for several days. New Jersey state police relieved the federal agents of their duties at the site on Friday, stepping in to manage security. On Sunday, the mayor of Newark imposed a curfew in the area surrounding the Delaney Hall facility.
Mullin also said the state is working to provide security at the Delaney Hall ICE facility, making the redeployment of CBP officers unnecessary for now. His comments clarified that the proposed shift in personnel remains contingent on the level of support from state and local authorities.
Mullin has previously threatened to withdraw CBP officers from airports in so-called “sanctuary cities.” Withdrawing CBP officers from airports could disrupt international travel during the World Cup.