Grand Canyon Times

Senior Counselor and Director of Oversight and Investigations for America First Legal (AFL), Reed D. Rubinstein said the Department of Homeland Security is prioritizing illegal migrants over law-abiding citizens during airport screenings, a symptom of the Biden Administration’s lenient immigration policies. 

The AFL’s concern comes as public outcry is growing, fueled by incidents reported by renowned conservative commentator Ashley St. Clair and others in late December.

St. Clair's social media posts raised alarming questions about commercial flights potentially transporting migrants who had crossed the border.

“My @Delta flight from Phoenix appears to be flying migrants who crossed the border and are being shipped to New York,” St. Clair said on X.

“When I asked a Delta representative if this was the case, his response was ‘What does it matter, they’re humans too.’”

“What is happening????” the post read. 

St. Clair shared encounters with Delta representatives and highlighted the distressing claims made by commercial airline pilots who expressed fear about speaking up on the issue.

“I am overwhelmed with the number of messages/tips I’m receiving, many from commercial airline pilots from Delta and other airlines who have been too scared to speak up on this issue,” St. Clair said on X.

“One told me COVID positive migrants are being flown. Another told me migrants without ID are being let on. And another showed me paperwork for all of the places these illegal migrants are being shipped.”

“Pilots are being left in the dark about what exactly is happening and have had to do their own fact finding in secret.”

Illegal immigrants can go around normal identification procedures by using the U.S. Customs and Border Control “document validation” tool called CBP One™.

CBP One allows illegal immigrants to notify TSA agents at airports of their status instead of proving valid identification to submit their “alien identification number or biographic information.” Submission of a photo is optional.

The CBP One service was first offered on Jan. 12, 2023.

Rubinstein and America First Legal filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request aimed at uncovering the truth behind the Transportation Security Administration’s vetting procedures for illegal aliens after an increasing number of illegal immigrants were noticed aboard domestic flights in late December.

“Even as American citizens and law-abiding immigrants were forced to suffer the indignities and inconvenience of Christmas-season travel at our airports, it seems DHS went out of its way to ensure illegal ‘migrants’ received preferential treatment,” Rubinstein said in a press release.

“Unfortunately, this was simply the most recent assault on the rule of law and American sovereignty by the Biden Administration and its allied network of ‘charities’ and businesses that profit from mass illegal immigration.”

“DHS Secretary Mayorkas’s cynical refusal to enforce our immigration laws, and his unrelenting efforts to facilitate the illegal entry into our country by unvetted millions, have created a ticking time bomb of social, economic, and law enforcement problems – this is a clear and present danger to our national security. AFL will keep fighting to expose the truth and working with Congress to end this national disgrace.”

The FOIA request by AFL sought records detailing the number of illegal immigrants permitted to board airplanes during the holiday season, with a focus on potential security risks associated with poorly vetted passengers.

During the recent holiday travel season, numerous illegal aliens were observed at airports, accompanied by interpreters and carrying plastic bags with their belongings, allegedly supported by non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The AFL's inquiry comes as a surge in detentions of individuals on the FBI terror watch list, raising concerns about national security risks associated with unauthorized mass migration facilitated by the Biden Administration and taxpayer-supported NGOs.

The AFL stated in the FOIA request that it seeks records, “To uncover the extent of this national security risk and the potential that NGOs facilitating the interstate travel of illegal aliens may have influenced the DHS and TSA officials responsible for aviation screening policy.”

The AFL is requesting information on how many illegal immigrants were allowed to board planes using “acceptable alternative identification” from Jan. 2022 through the entirety of 2023.

The letter outlines specific records requested, including data on the number of illegal aliens permitted to board airplanes and communication records of key custodians at DHS and TSA.

Additionally, the foundation requested expedited processing, citing the urgent need to address potential national security risks associated with poorly vetted passengers.

"Disclosure of the information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and of government operations,” AFL said in its FOIA request.