The US administration is discussing a plan that could affect international flights to some of the major American airports in cities with so-called sanctuary policies. There is no final decision yet, but the very fact that such a scenario is being prepared has already become an important signal for tourists, airlines, hotels, and the entire inbound tourism market ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
According to reports from Reuters on May 26-27 and Associated Press on May 23, 2026, US Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullen stated that the administration is developing options to stop or reduce the processing of international passengers and cargo at major airports in cities that the federal government considers jurisdictions with limited cooperation with immigration services. This is not about a flight ban, which has already come into force, but about a possible administrative step: if not enough Customs and Border Protection officers are working at an airport, international arrivals may effectively become impossible or significantly more difficult.
For travelers, this news is important not only because of the political context. The lists of cities mentioned in the Reuters and AP reports include hubs through which large flows of tourists pass daily: New York, Newark, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Boston, and Philadelphia. It is through such airports that foreign passengers often enter the USA, make transfers to domestic flights, fly to matches, cruises, cruises, conferences, or summer vacations.
What Exactly is Being Considered in the USA
The essence of the discussed scenario is the withdrawal or reduction of the presence of CBP officers in certain airports. CBP is responsible for passport-immigration control, customs procedures, and the admission of international passengers after arrival in the United States. If such a service cannot fully process flights, airlines will not be able to simply land a plane with international passengers and release them into the terminal according to the usual procedure.
Reuters reports that Mullen emphasized: a decision has not yet been made. According to him, the administration is currently developing plans, not launching them immediately. At the same time, Associated Press writes that the U.S. Travel Association, after a meeting with the Secretary, confirmed: the possibility of withdrawing CBP officers from some international airports is indeed being considered. Industry associations warn that such a step could have serious consequences for airlines, the tourism business, hotels, car rentals, transfers, and cities that depend on foreign visitors.
It is important to distinguish between two levels of risk. The first is a political statement and the preparation of a plan, which has already become public and therefore affects market expectations. The second is actual implementation, which has not yet been announced. Tourists should not cancel trips en masse just because of this story, but ignoring it is also irrational, especially if the route passes through one of the potentially sensitive hubs.
Which Airports May Be in the Spotlight
The official list of airports to which such a step may be applied has not been published. Media reports mention cities and regions, rather than a final operational list. However, for tourists, it is practically important to look at the major international hubs serving these destinations. For example, in New York, this is JFK Airport, as well as Newark Liberty, which is formally located in New Jersey but is a key part of the aviation system of the New York region.
On the West Coast, special attention should be paid to Los Angeles Airport LAX, San Francisco Airport SFO and Seattle-Tacoma SEA. In the central part of the country, important transfer points are Chicago O’Hare and Denver International Airport. On the East Coast, besides New York and Newark, Boston and Philadelphia are mentioned. All these hubs are important not only for direct arrivals from Europe, Asia, or Latin America, but also for transfers to domestic flights within the USA.
Separately, it should be remembered: even if a specific airport is not directly limited, any uncertainty in major hubs can affect schedules more broadly. Airlines build networks such that delays or changes in one international hub can affect connections in other cities. That is why tourists with transfers need to look not only at the first point of entry into the USA, but at the entire chain of flights.
Why the Moment is Especially Sensitive Before the FIFA World Cup 2026
The news appeared less than a month before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which the USA will host together with Canada and Mexico. The tournament is expected to bring a significant flow of foreign fans to the country, and host cities will require the stable operation of aviation, hotel, and ground infrastructure. Reuters specifically notes that the potential scenario could affect the period when millions of international tourists are expected.
For the tourism industry, this is a particularly painful issue because the USA is already fighting to restore international demand. In 2026, the market expects that major sporting events will help support hotels, restaurants, transport, excursion services, and airlines. Any signal about possible complications at the border or in airports can change the behavior of travelers: some people postpone bookings, some choose direct flights to less risky hubs, and some allow more time for transfers.
At the same time, there are currently no grounds to claim that international flights to the USA will be cancelled en masse. The current practical conclusion is different: travelers should follow official announcements from airlines, CBP, DHS, airports, and tour operators, and avoid overly tight transfers in the first weeks of summer if the route passes through the mentioned cities.
What This Means for Tourists Who Already Have Tickets
If tickets to the USA have already been purchased, the main thing is not to panic and not to make decisions based solely on headlines. As of May 30, 2026, the discussed plan is not an active rule. International passengers continue to undergo the usual entry procedures: document verification by the airline before boarding, immigration control after arrival, customs declaration, and, if necessary, re-checking baggage for the domestic segment.
However, if your trip has a short transfer in the USA, it is worth checking a few things. First, whether your route has an alternative first point of entry, for example, through another hub. Second, whether the fare allows changing the flight for free or for a small fee. Third, whether the entire trip depends on a single evening connection, after the failure of which you would have to stay overnight in the airport city.
Passengers flying to the USA for events with a fixed date: matches, cruises, weddings, conferences, exhibitions, or medical visits should be especially careful. For such trips, it is better to arrive a day earlier than to plan an international arrival and an important event on the same day. This is not a new rule, but in a period of increased regulatory uncertainty, it becomes even more relevant.
How to Plan the Ground Portion of the Route
Potential changes in international flight processing may affect not only the flight but also the entire arrival day. If passport control is delayed or the airline changes the arrival airport, the tourist has to quickly reorganize the transfer, hotel check-in, car rental, or travel between cities. Therefore, in routes through major US hubs, it is worth checking exit options from the airport in advance and not booking ground services without flexible conditions if there is a choice.
For trips through the New York region, it is useful to compare options for transfers from JFK and transfers from Newark Liberty in advance, as these airports serve different parts of the metropolitan area. If the route passes through California, it is worth separately checking the travel time from LAX to Los Angeles or from SFO to San Francisco. For Chicago, Seattle, Denver, Boston, and Philadelphia, the logic is the same: a well-thought-out plan after arrival reduces the risk of extra costs if the flight or the time of control passage changes.
What to Check in the Coming Days
The most reliable source of practical information for a passenger remains the airline operating the flight. It is the first to notify about schedule changes, route changes, cancellations of segments, or re-bookings. The second level of verification is the arrival airport's website, where operational messages about queues, terminals, and international arrivals may appear. The third level is official announcements from US agencies, if the scenario with CBP becomes a move from political discussion to specific administrative action.
Tourists should also read the insurance terms more carefully. Not every policy covers costs due to administrative changes, political decisions, or delays that are not in the nature of a classic cancelled aviation service. If the trip is expensive, includes several cities, or is tied to a sporting event, it makes sense to choose a fare and insurance with broader terms for changing plans.
For tour operators, agents, and corporate travel managers, this news is a reason to review the routes of groups arriving in the USA in June and July. The riskiest scenarios are short connections after international arrival, arrival on the day of the event, group transfers without a time buffer, and bookings where changing the first airport of entry automatically destroys the entire subsequent route.
Conclusion
The plan regarding CBP being discussed in the USA is not yet an active restriction, but it has already become an important risk factor for international travel. Its significance is that it is not about secondary regional airports, but about the key gateways of the country for tourists, business travelers, and World Cup 2026 fans. If the decision is not implemented, the story may remain a political dispute. If the administration moves to practical actions, the consequences may be felt by passengers far beyond the cities directly mentioned in the discussion.
The best strategy for travelers now is not to automatically give up on trips to the USA, but to plan them with a larger time buffer, more flexible fares, and a more careful check of the first airport of entry. For the summer season of 2026, this becomes one of those risks that should be kept in view along with airfare prices, border queues, hotel occupancy, and transport in host cities of major events.