Written by Bethany Blankley (The Center Square)
Twenty-three years after Islamic terrorists used an airplane to carry out the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil, the federal agency created to protect Americans from national security threats has announced the It is not possible to reliably prevent non-citizens from entering the country.
Potentially high-risk non-citizens are boarding domestic flights without identification, posing a public safety risk, according to a new report from the Office of Inspector General that evaluated multiple federal agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It is said that this is occurring.
OIG reiterated that Published report Identify potential national security risks posed by the Biden-Harris policy identified within DHS and its subordinate agencies.
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Recently Edited report OIG expresses public safety concerns to the administrators of the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying it contains “sensitive security information.” did.
The report says authorities have not assessed the public safety risks of releasing noncitizens into the United States without identification and putting them on domestic flights.
OIG requested data on the number of undocumented noncitizens released into the United States from fiscal years 2021 to 2023. The data obtained by the OIG may be incomplete because “immigration officials are not required to record in a database whether a noncitizen presents identification.” ”
“Thus, neither CBP nor ICE knew how many of the millions of noncitizens who seek admission to the United States each year entered the country without identification and how many self-reported background information were accepted.” the report states. CBP and ICE officials interviewed by the OIG said, “While we recognize the risks of allowing undocumented noncitizens into the country, neither CBP nor ICE has developed a comprehensive framework to assess the level of risk these nonnationals present.” “They did not conduct a comprehensive risk assessment and did not develop corresponding mitigation measures.” says the report.
One of the primary responsibilities of CBP and ICE is to verify the identity of non-citizens before seeking entry. TSA is responsible for screening everyone boarding domestic flights. The OIG notes that CBP and ICE policies and procedures “concern the documents that TSA will accept for domestic travel and that TSA will ensure that non-citizens traveling on domestic flights provide identification that is consistent with all other domestic travelers. We audited them to determine the extent to which they verify individuals’ identities.
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As Border Patrol officials made clear, explainedthe vast majority of illegal border crossers are not tested and released on DHS paperwork. The OIG confirmed this, stating that CBP and ICE officers “accept self-reported biographical information for use in issuing various immigration documents.” Once in the United States, non-citizens can travel on domestic flights. ”
OIG also notes that noncitizens do not have the rights to: TSA-acceptable identification documents However, they are “allowed to board domestic flights.” TSA requires them to “subject to scrutiny and additional screening,” which includes verifying information on DHS-issued immigration documents through the system and conducting additional screening procedures such as pat-downs. is included.
“TSA screening and screening procedures do not eliminate the risk of noncitizens boarding domestic flights who may pose a threat to other passengers,” the OIG report states.
According to the OIG, the situation will only get worse.
“Under current processes, CBP and ICE cannot reliably prevent the entry of undocumented, high-risk noncitizens.Furthermore, TSA, through its screening and inspection procedures, poses a threat to air passengers. We cannot reliably prevent potentially high-risk non-citizens from boarding domestic flights.”
The 37-page redacted report details the steps that must be followed in accordance with federal law, noting in bold: ”
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Security issues also exist with the CBP One app, which is used to quickly track more than 813,000 illegal aliens who are inadmissible to the country (The Center Square) reported.
These issues have been edited. “Due to the noncitizen screening and release process by CBP and ICE, TSA’s methods of screening individuals who pose a threat do not necessarily prevent these individuals from boarding an aircraft,” the OIG warns.
It also notes that the agency has released previous reports that “documented similar weaknesses in CBP’s vetting process for admitting high-risk individuals, including those on terrorist watch lists.” .
The report concludes that “CBP and ICE may unintentionally increase national security risks if they continue to admit noncitizens whose identities cannot be verified by immigration officials.”
The agency disagreed with the OIG’s findings. In response, the OIG has provided 90 days to respond and provide corrective actions to be taken and target dates for completion of each recommendation, as provided in the DHS Directive.
Syndicated with permission From the center square.
