TSA Backtracks On Allowing Illegal Immigrants To Use Arrest Warrants As ID To Fly

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Friday acknowledged it was allowing illegal immigrants to present arrest warrants as identification to get on airplanes but said it was ending the practice.

“For non-citizens and non-U.S. nationals who do not otherwise have acceptable forms of ID for presentation at security checkpoints, TSA may also accept certain DHS-issued forms, including ICE Form I-200 (Warrant for Arrest of an Alien),” a spokesman for the agency told The Epoch Times in an email.

The TSA is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which also includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Later in the day, though, the same spokesman indicated the policy had been changed.

“To confirm the identity of an individual and ensure they are not on the no-fly list or pose a known threat to public safety or national security, TSA verifies the identity of every traveler before they are permitted to enter the secure area of an airport. Noncitizens without a standard form of identification may instead present certain DHS-issued forms to a TSA officer. These forms are civil immigration violation documents, do not include criminal arrest warrants, and are not indicative of a threat to public safety or national security,” he said.

The TSA says it confirms the identity of each individual by verifying information found on the forms using data from Customs and Border Protection.

The Biden administration letting illegal immigrants present arrest warrants was first reported by the Daily Caller.

The change in policy came after an outcry over the unusual practice.

“President [Joe] Biden is putting millions of Americans at risk by allowing known criminals and potential terrorists to fly on U.S. airlines. A criminal alien shouldn’t be allowed to board a plane after presenting a warrant for their arrest. They should be detained and brought before a judge,” Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), who said he went to the U.S.-Mexico border and witnessed illegal immigrants boarding planes without proper identification, said on Fox & Friends this week.

Matthew Tragesser, spokesperson at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, told The Epoch Times in an email before the change that the guidance was “an affront to American citizens, and greatly jeopardizes our national security.”

“In no way, shape, or form would an American citizen be allowed to board a U.S. flight simply by flashing an arrest warrant. If anything, that would cause immediate concern for law enforcement officials. This unconscionable move by the Biden administration aids and abets criminal behavior. Rather than facilitate illegal immigration deep into the interior, the administration should look to deter it as more than 2 million individuals attempted to enter the country unlawfully during its first year in office–an all-time record,” he added.

Under Biden, the United States set records for the most illegal immigrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border for both a fiscal year and a calendar year.

Biden, a Democrat, and top officials in his administration have dramatically altered or ended key Trump-era policies since taking office, including stopping construction of the border wall and curtailing the use of health emergency powers to expel illegal aliens.