VERIFIED NEWS · AIRPORTS AND PORTS OF ENTRY
CBP proposes ending Miami Seaplane Base’s international-airport designation
The proposed rule would remove Chalk Seaplane Base—now operating as Miami Seaplane Base—from federal lists of airports designated for international immigration and customs processing.
Editorial topic illustration. It does not depict Miami Seaplane Base, a specific aircraft, passenger, inspection, arrest, port of entry, or CBP action.
What CBP proposed
CBP proposed deleting Chalk Seaplane Base from the federal regulatory lists of airports designated for international immigration and customs purposes. The Federal Register notice identifies the operating facility as Miami Seaplane Base.
If finalized, the change would remove the facility’s designation under immigration regulations in title 8 and customs regulations in title 19. Publication of the proposal alone does not make that change effective.
Why the agency says it is considering withdrawal
CBP says the facility has not met agency regulatory and security standards and that the amount of international business does not justify maintaining inspection equipment and personnel there. The notice states that before 2021 CBP processed about 55 passengers per week at the base, all arriving from one international destination, the Bahamas. That figure is historical context from the proposal, not a current passenger count.
The agency also points to nearby alternatives. The notice says Miami International Airport is about three miles away and identifies Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport as another suitable international airport.
What the proposal does not say
The notice does not announce an ICE operation, a passenger-arrest initiative, or a change to the rules governing admission at every U.S. airport. It addresses one facility’s designation for federal immigration and customs processing.
It also does not close Miami Seaplane Base as a whole. The proposed federal action is narrower: withdrawal of its international-airport designation in the cited regulations.
What happens next
CBP is accepting written comments through October 20, 2026, under docket USCBP-2026-0892. The agency would have to consider the rulemaking record and publish a final action before the regulatory lists change. Until then, this item must be described as a proposal.
Primary federal record
- Federal Register: “Withdrawal of International Airport Designation of Chalk Seaplane Base” ↗ — CBP proposed rule published August 21, 2026; comments close October 20, 2026.
- CBP port-of-entry directory ↗ — official agency directory for ports and locations.
Corrections: We publish material corrections transparently and update the verification date. No corrections have been made to this article.