Fed Agencies Released Noncitizens Without ID Into US, Allowed Them to Board Domestic Flights: DHS OIG Report; DHS Released Hundreds of Thousands of Migrants Who Lacked ID, Allowed Some to Board Planes

Fed agencies released noncitizens without ID into US, allowed them to board domestic flights: DHS OIG report

In a new, heavily redacted report, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general found that several federal agencies did not fully assess risks associated with releasing noncitizens without identification into the U.S. and allowing them to travel on domestic flights.

Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari said in the report that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) failed to ensure that high-risk noncitzens without ID are not entering the country and boarding domestic flights.

The IG said that according to federal law, “noncitizens without ID are not admissible into the country and “shall be detained,” but that CBP and ICE are permitted to release noncitizens into the U.S. based on various circumstances.

The report notes that CBP and ICE accept self-reported biographical information, which they use to give migrants immigration forms. The migrants are then able to get on domestic flights, even if they do not have identification.

The inspector general said he asked DHS for data on the number of noncitizens who did not have identification and were released into the U.S. between fiscal years 2021-23, but CBP and ICE were unable to provide the information because they did not log into their system whether or not noncitizens had identification.

The IG added that “immigration officers we interviewed acknowledged the risks of allowing noncitizens without ID into the country.”

When it came to the TSA, the report found it relied on data and background checks on noncitizens from CBP and ICE to determine if a noncitizen was a threat.

The report said if the data from CBP and ICE was incomplete, “TSA’s methods to screen individuals who pose a threat would not necessarily prevent these individuals from boarding flights.” —>READ MORE HERE

DHS released hundreds of thousands of migrants who lacked ID, allowed some to board planes:

Homeland Security is releasing hundreds of thousands of migrants who haven’t been able to prove their identities to authorities, the department’s inspector general said Wednesday.

Many of them are then allowed to board airplanes based on the information they self-reported, introducing a new element of risk to the flying public, investigators said.

The audit supports the claims of security experts who have warned about the lack of proper vetting for migrants in the current border surge. The report also challenges Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ claims that his department does know who’s sneaking into the U.S.

“Because of CBP’s and ICE’s process for inspecting and releasing noncitizens, TSA’s methods to screen for individuals who pose a threat would not necessarily prevent these individuals from boarding flights,” the inspector general said.

Customs and Border Protection guards the border, Immigration and Customs Enforcement handles interior enforcement and some releases, and the Transportation Security Administration handles passenger screening at airports. All three agencies are part of Homeland Security.

Many of the key details are redacted from the report released publicly on Wednesday, citing security reasons.

Jim Crumpacker, Homeland Security’s liaison to the inspector general, disputed some of the inspector general’s conclusions, saying the report “contains inaccurate statements” and lacked context.

“The realty is that TSA’s current policies and procedures already mitigate the potential risks associated with travelers who do not have an acceptable form of identification,” he said.

Mr. Crumpacker acknowledged the government’s difficulties in dealing with migrants who show up without identification. He admitted the government has released “hundreds of thousands” of them. —>READ MORE HERE

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