A group of House conservatives is seeking details on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) policies for screening undocumented immigrants at airports.
In a Friday letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees TSA, the Republican lawmakers raised concerns about which forms of ID are being accepted before boarding.
{mosads}“News reports have indicated that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been allowing migrants to board flights using a Form I-862, Notice to Appear, which informs a released alien of when to appear in court and is not one of the 15 forms of identification TSA accepts for air travel,” the lawmakers wrote. “The safety and security of the American public should always be our priority.”
The letter was signed by GOP Reps. Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Brian Babin (Texas), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Michael Cloud (Texas), Chip Roy (Texas), Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Jeff Duncan (S.C.) and Jody Hice (Ga.).
The lawmakers inquired about whether the immigrants undergo health screenings before boarding and if they are accompanied by law enforcement on flights.
They also asked for information regarding whether they are “required to undergo the same TSA screenings, including x-rays or full body scans and search of baggage, as all other travelers” and if airlines were notified when an undocumented immigrant was a passenger.
DHS was given a deadline of June 21 to respond.
The letter comes amid rising tensions over border and immigration issues, with some jurisdictions taking steps to push back on the administration’s policies regarding immigrants who are in the country illegally.
In Seattle, King County Executive Dow Constantine (D) recently issued an executive order directing King County Airport to revise its lease practices to ban flights of immigration detainees chartered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border in May hit a 13-year high, at 132,887.