Internal Review Reveals No-Fly List Concerns
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration has reportedly placed Americans who opposed mask mandates on the no-fly list, which is typically used to monitor suspected terrorists. This information comes from preliminary findings of internal investigations by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as obtained by the Post.
Between September 30, 2021, and October 25, 2021, DHS identified 19 Americans for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to monitor.
By April 2022, at least 11 of these individuals were listed in the TSA’s watch list, but a federal court ruling forced the Biden administration to suspend related operations.
Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem commented on these findings, stating, “Biden’s TSA has really overstepped its authority.” She noted that this approach contrasts sharply with what the previous administration promoted as “freedom of operation.”
Noem expressed concern about TSA Administrator David Pekosuke and his team, claiming they misused their power against the very citizens they should protect. “President Trump has promised to put an end to this kind of government overreach,” she added.
Following the investigation, Noem dismissed five senior officials and shared relevant details with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Office and Congress for further scrutiny.
Senator Rand Paul, who leads the Homeland Security Committee, indicated that a recent report revealed at least 24 additional Americans believed they were included on the TSA watch list due to their participation in protests against the mask mandate.
The internal investigation uncovered that roughly 280 Americans had been added to watch lists after engaging in protests that peaked on January 6, 2021, which momentarily disrupted the certification of the 2020 election results.
Concerns were raised within the TSA regarding reports that five of these individuals were given in-flight status despite objections from the TSA’s Chief Privacy Officer.
The officer pointed out in an email dated January 13, 2021, that adding Americans to the list was “clearly unrelated to transportation security.” The officer emphasized that individuals were being punished for expressing their opinions, even if they were not charged with incitement.
In the aftermath of the Capitol Riot, yet another TSA employee raised alarms about potentially adding more individuals to the watch list to act as a “curve-off breaker.”
Some emails indicated that the TSA relied heavily on information from an extremism database managed by George Washington University instead of the FBI.
Despite efforts to address these concerns, the investigation revealed lapses in intelligence, leading to the placement of both national security personnel and individuals with no ties to threats on the watch list.
Most individuals were removed from the list by June 28, 2021, unless they faced federal charges related to the riots.
The Post reached out to Pekosuke for comment.
