Senate Report Alleges Biden Administration’s Airport Migrant Plans Compromise Safety

A recent Senate report has raised significant concerns, claiming that the Biden administration sought to accommodate migrants in U.S. airports, despite warnings about potential safety risks for travelers. The 47-page document, titled “Flight Risks,” was made public by the Senate Commerce Committee.

The report alleges that the White House instructed various federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to identify airport facilities that could serve as temporary shelters and processing centers for migrants. It detailed efforts to “examine available facilities” at both federally owned and local airports, and to reallocate federal resources to facilitate these migrant arrivals.

Concerns about this plan were expressed in internal emails. For example, an FAA official reached out to Massport on October 6, 2023, with an urgent request to explore any available facilities at the airport. The response from a DOT official was telling: “Hey, this is definitely a Fox News story in the making.”

According to the report, at least 11 airports—including major hubs like Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, and New York’s JFK—were asked or pressured to provide space for migrants in terminals or other buildings.

Federal Aviation Administration representatives acknowledged that the intended use of airports for this purpose would normally require federal approval. However, the report mentions that airports did not seem to adequately focus on the implications of housing foreign nationals.

Massport, the operator of Boston Logan, communicated its limitations, emphasizing that the airport is not equipped to manage immigrant admissions, voicing fears over potential security and safety issues. Despite such warnings, Boston Logan reportedly allowed up to 352 migrants to stay in Terminal E each night, incurring nearly $800,000 in related expenses for security and transportation.

Meanwhile, at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, about 900 migrants were reportedly sheltered. Between April 2023 and February 2024, police logged numerous calls and arrests linked to incidents occurring in relation to this arrangement.

In addition to the focus on airports, the report states that the DOT and its associated agencies were also tasked with enhancing immigration aid efforts. For example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was instructed to develop a “Know Your Rights” pamphlet for migrant bus riders.

The conclusion drawn from the Senate report indicates that the administration’s actions may have diverted crucial federal resources and compromised safety. It remarked on how the Biden-Harris administration’s decisions impacted airport safety, putting travelers at risk by allowing improperly vetted individuals to utilize domestic air travel.

Senator Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, expressed strong disapproval, asserting that this initiative could put Americans in danger and highlighted the report’s implications regarding government spending on these initiatives.