DHS threatens to pull airport officers amid Newark detention center protests
DHS threatened to pull airport officers from Newark Liberty as protests outside Delaney Hall entered a seventh day, raising fears of delays for international flights and cargo.
DHS escalated the fight over Newark’s Delaney Hall by threatening to move Customs and Border Protection officers off Newark Liberty International Airport, a step that could quickly hit international travelers, cargo handlers and airlines before it would ever stop a plane from landing.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Fox & Friends that the department may reassign officers who process international flights to protect agents outside the ICE detention center in Newark, where protests had entered their seventh day over reports of poor living conditions and health concerns among detainees. DHS has denied those allegations. Mullin said, "If things don't change," the department would have to move "pretty quick," and said the flights would not technically be halted, but could not be processed without CBP officers.
That distinction matters. Newark Liberty is one of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s busiest airports and a major international gateway, so the first disruption would likely be long customs lines, delayed arrivals and bottlenecks for cargo and connecting flights. The Port Authority had not immediately commented on the proposal. Travel-industry voices warned the move could be devastating for airlines and tourism, especially with the FIFA World Cup approaching and the final scheduled for July 19, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The threat grew out of a volatile standoff at Delaney Hall, which ICE reopened in 2025 as a 1,000-bed detention center. ICE said the site’s location near an international airport helps logistics and detainee processing. Instead, the facility has become a flashpoint. DHS said protesters blocked law enforcement from exiting the site, while federal agents used the minimum force necessary. Reports from the scene have described repeated clashes, including pepper spray, batons, pepper balls and mace.
The Newark conflict has already drawn in city and congressional leaders. Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on trespassing charges on May 9, 2025, during a protest at the facility. Rep. LaMonica McIver was later indicted on federal charges tied to a confrontation there. ICE’s Caleb Vitello and DHS investigator Ricky Patel have also been part of the broader federal response around the site.
The warning to strip officers from Newark Liberty did not stay local for long. Reuters and other reporting said the administration has also considered cutting customs and immigration processing at airports in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle, extending an immigration enforcement fight into the transportation systems that move millions of people every day.
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