A former Border Patrol commander under the Trump administration, Gregory Bovino, has publicly criticized a reported proposal by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that would remove Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from major international airports in liberal cities.

The plan is allegedly intended to pressure so-called sanctuary cities by disrupting their ability to process international flights if they do not comply with federal immigration enforcement priorities.According to the article, the proposed strategy would target major hubs such as JFK in New York and LAX in Los Angeles.

However, Bovino opposed the idea not out of disagreement with stricter immigration enforcement, but because he believes it would be strategically counterproductive.

In a post on X, he argued that pulling CBP personnel from key airports would amount to a retreat rather than a show of force, effectively conceding political ground to opponents of the policy.Bovino further suggested that such a move would create unnecessary chaos while allowing sanctuary cities to claim political victory.

He framed the proposal as symbolic rather than effective enforcement, arguing that decisive action would be a more successful strategy for federal authorities.

Meanwhile, the article notes that policy experts have expressed concern that disrupting CBP operations at major airports could have nationwide consequences, potentially destabilizing air traffic systems beyond the targeted cities and affecting airports even in Republican-controlled states.

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement strategies and local sanctuary policies, as well as divisions within conservative circles about the most effective methods of applying pressure on cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.