Gaetz Demands Transparency From Delta CEO After Viral Posts About Illegal Immigrants

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has raised national security concerns about Delta Air Lines’ role in transporting illegal immigrants from the U.S. southern border into the country’s interior without being “properly vetted.”

In a letter to Delta CEO Ed Bastion on Friday, Mr. Gaetz urged transparency regarding arrangements between the airline, federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) facilitating transportation.

“It has recently come to my attention that Delta Air Lines is transporting non-resident aliens from the southern border of the United States into the interior of the country,” Mr. Gaetz wrote. “The United States Congress has an interest in understanding pursuant to which arrangements with federal agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) non-resident aliens are able to book and travel on Delta Air Lines flights.”

Sparked by claims in viral social media posts, Mr. Gaetz cited national security concerns around NGOs that receive taxpayer funds buying flights for illegal immigrants who have not been vetted and who seem to be boarding flights without proper identification.

These concerns were also put to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Wednesday. Mr. Cruz sought information about the screening procedures for illegal immigrants crossing the border via the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) “CBP One” app and being helped onto flights to the country’s interior from southern border locations.

In his letter to the Delta Air Lines boss, Mr. Gaetz said, “As you are likely aware, certain NGOs receive federal grants, including through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program and Shelter and Services Program, making it possible that these NGOs are using federal money to purchase flights for non-resident aliens on Delta Air Lines.”

The Republican congressman echoed Mr. Cruz, saying it was “alarming” that American taxpayers are paying for illegal immigrants to fly around the country from the U.S. southern border who “may not be properly vetted.”

“Therefore, I am concerned the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) may be allowing nonresident aliens to board flights, including those operated by Delta Air Lines, with an alternate form of identification that meets a weaker standard than that used to verify the identities of American citizens when they fly,” he added.

Mr. Gaetz sought answers from Ms. Bastion to the following questions:

• How many nonresident aliens has Delta Ait Lines transported on behalf of governmental or nongovernmental organizations since January 20, 2021?
• How do NGOs purchase or reimburse your airlines for the tickets of non-resident aliens?
• Are you now receiving, or have you ever received, any incentive to reimbursement, including money, credit, or other benefits from the federal government, in exchange for the transport of nonresident aliens?
• Has the TSA notified you of what forms of identification are acceptable for nonresident aliens to clear airport security and board your flights? If so, what are they?

The issue first came to light on Dec. 19 in a viral post on X, formerly Twitter, by conservative commentator Ashley St. Clair.

“My Delta flight from Phoenix appears to be flying migrants who crossed the border and are being shipped to New York,” Ms. St. Clair wrote in a post that included a video of herself at the boarding gate.

Ms. St. Clair said that when she queried the matter with “a Delta representative,” he responded by saying, “What does it matter, they’re humans too.”

The situation raised questions for the commentator, who wrote: “What is happening???? Are taxpayer dollars paying for this????”

Following Ms. St. Clair’s post, other reporters have posted on X about similarly boarding flights filled with illegal immigrants reportedly released by CBP into the country and flying onwards.

On Dec. 22, Fox News reporter Bill Melugin shared a photo on X of illegal immigrants standing in dedicated security lines at the airport in Tuscon, Arizona. He wrote that the terminal “is full of illegal immigrants released into the U.S. with their DHS paperwork.”

While flying out of Laredo, Texas, that same day, Tenet Media reporter Taylor Hansen said that “almost every person in the airport is an illegal migrant” and that an “@AmericanAir rep told me more illegal migrants fly out of this airport on a daily basis than Americans.”

In a follow-up post on Dec. 22, Ms. St. Clair said she was “in possession of legitimate major airline boarding passes for migrants that quite literally have the name printed as ‘NO NAME GIVEN.’” She did not specify which airline.

The Epoch Times viewed a photo of one such boarding pass from another major airline with “NO NAME GIVEN” dated April, with other identifying information redacted, indicating this has been an ongoing issue only recently brought to light.

Read the full story here.

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