Mullin: Sanctuary Policies Allow 'Open-Door Invitation' to Foreign Adversaries

The case has reignited serious concerns over the growing infiltration of foreign agents in the United States.

Published: 5/13/2026, 12:07:45 PM EDT

Mullin: Sanctuary Policies Allow 'Open-Door Invitation' to Foreign Adversaries — Eileen Wang attends the Asian Hall of Fame 2023 induction ceremony at Biltmore Los Angeles on Oct. 21, 2023. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin has blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom for policies that entice foreign adversaries into the United States.

Mullin's remarks come after former Arcadia mayor Eileen Wang was federally charged for acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government.

"They feel like there is an open-door invitation in these sanctuary cities, and it's not just China. This is North Korea, this is Russia," Mullin said during an interview on Fox News. "This is our adversaries all over the place that’s using the political theater that the Democrats have drawled as a point of weakness to be able to infiltrate our communities."

NTD reached out to Newsom’s office Wednesday morning seeking comment on Mullin’s remarks but did not receive a response by publication.

Wang, 58, was elected in November 2022 to the Arcadia City Council. The five-person governing body selects a mayor to serve on a rotating basis. Federal prosecutors have alleged that she promoted Chinese propaganda from 2020 to 2022, before taking office.

Wang has agreed to plead guilty to the felony count and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors warned the case shows a need for vigilance against foreign infiltration and said elected officials must act only for the people they represent.

"All Americans should be alarmed to learn an elected official was brazenly spreading propaganda on behalf of the Chinese government," Patrick Grandy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said in a statement. "The FBI is dedicated to rooting out those illegally acting as agents of a foreign government as they do the bidding of America’s adversaries."

The case has reignited serious concerns over the growing infiltration of foreign agents in the United States.

Multiple people have been implicated in spying for the CCP, including former New York state official Linda Sun. In 2024, Sun was arrested for allegedly acting as an undisclosed agent for the Chinese regime while serving as a high-ranking aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Her trial ended in a hung jury in December 2025 after she was accused of selling influence for millions in bribes.

Just last month, the relationship between former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and suspected Chinese operative Christine Fang resurfaced. FBI Director Kash Patel said he was seeking to release decade-old files related to Swalwell’s past interactions with her, a move that his lawyers opposed. In 2023, the House Ethics Committee concluded that its investigation found no evidence that supported allegations of misconduct or breaches of House rules by Swalwell.

The renewed attention of Chinese infiltration comes as President Donald Trump meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a high-stakes summit in China this week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.