A newly released Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General report has raised serious concerns about the Biden-Harris administration’s border and immigration practices. The report criticizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for inadequately evaluating the risks involved in releasing noncitizens without proper identification and allowing them to board domestic flights.
The DHS Inspector General’s investigation focused on the release of noncitizens who lacked proper identification and their subsequent ability to travel freely within the United States on domestic flights. According to the report, while CBP and ICE have protocols to verify the identity of noncitizens upon entry, there are significant gaps in their ability to fully confirm identities when noncitizens lack documentation.
In particular, the report highlights that “Prior to releasing these individuals, CBP and ICE immigration officers accept self-reported biographical information, which they use to issue various immigration forms. Once in the United States, noncitizens can travel on domestic flights, “as a basis for issuing various immigration forms. This means that individuals who could pose significant risks are being released into the country without sufficient vetting. Once released, these individuals can travel domestically, often without TSA-approved identification.”
NEW: In a new, heavily redacted DHS Inspector General report, the IG finds that “CBP, ICE, and TSA did not fully assess risks associated w/ releasing noncitizens without ID into the U.S. and allowing them to travel on domestic flights.”
Key finding: “Under current processes, CBP… pic.twitter.com/mgOACAWu98
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 2, 2024
The report also scrutinizes TSA’s screening processes for noncitizens who lack acceptable identification for domestic travel. Under current TSA procedures, noncitizens who do not have proper identification are subject to additional screening measures, which include using biographical and biometric data from DHS immigration forms. While TSA conducts vetting through law enforcement databases and additional physical screening, the report notes that these procedures are not comprehensive enough to fully mitigate the risks.
According to the findings, “TSA’s vetting and screening procedures do not eliminate the risk that noncitizens who may pose a threat to fellow passengers could board domestic flights.” This is an acknowledgment that the current system leaves open potential security gaps, especially considering the scale of undocumented individuals entering the U.S.
The report makes three key recommendations aimed at addressing the identified vulnerabilities. These recommendations include a call for enhanced risk assessment protocols by CBP and ICE, as well as improvements in TSA’s screening procedures for noncitizens without acceptable identification. However, the report says that DHS has not agreed to these recommendations, leading to ongoing concerns about the safety risks posed by the current practices.
<!–
backup code
backup creatives
–>
The failure to adopt these recommendations has drawn particular attention. The Inspector General’s office has requested that DHS submit a corrective action plan within 90 days, addressing each of the unresolved recommendations, and providing details on timelines and responsible parties. Until then, the report categorizes the recommendations as “open and unresolved.”
“It’s embarrassing that the Biden-Harris administration needs an official government watchdog to tell them what anyone with the slightest bit of common sense intuitively understands,” Rep. Mark Green (R-NC) told Fox News. “This administration should not be letting unvetted non-citizens roam free in our communities and get on planes, especially when their identities cannot even be verified. The colossal failures documented by the OIG are bad enough—even worse is that they are happening on a daily basis with the blessing of the Biden-Harris White House.”
The findings in this report have significant implications for national security and immigration policy. The revelation that noncitizens without adequate identification can travel within the U.S. with minimal oversight poses not only a security risk but also calls into question the effectiveness of current border management strategies. This issue is likely to fuel further political debate, particularly in the context of the ongoing national discussion on border security and immigration reform under the Biden-Harris administration. As many Americans have argued for stricter immigration controls, the report may serve as further evidence of systemic vulnerabilities, potentially heightening calls for legislative and administrative changes.
(FREE RED HAT: “Impeached. Arrested. Convicted. Shot. Still Standing”)
