Senate Report Alleges Biden Administration Pressured Airports to House Migrants, Raising Safety Concerns

WASHINGTON — A Senate Commerce Committee report alleges that the Biden administration directed the Department of Transportation (DOT) and related agencies to pressure U.S. airports into housing migrants, raising concerns about safety and security risks for travelers and airport operations.

The 47-page report titled “Flight Risk,” released by the Senate Commerce Committee, claims that the White House instructed the DOT, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to identify airport facilities suitable for migrant shelters or processing centers. The administration reportedly ordered these agencies to “inventory available facilities” at federally owned and local airports and to “divert federal resources” to support the arrival of migrants.

Internal communications cited in the report reveal unease among agency staff. An FAA official emailed Massport, the operator of Boston Logan International Airport, on Oct. 6, 2023, stating, “We have received a request from the WH to determine if there are available facilities on airport or surrounding areas… This is an immediate ask so please prioritize this effort.” Another DOT employee responded, “Yikes, this is definitely Fox News fodder in the making.”

The committee identified at least 11 airports, including Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, and New York’s JFK, that were asked or pressured to accommodate migrants in terminals, hangars, or auxiliary buildings. The report notes that FAA officials recognized such use typically requires federal approval under grant-assurance rules but often ignored these requirements when airports housed migrants.

Massport warned federal officials that Boston Logan was not equipped or resourced to manage migrant intake and cautioned that doing so could lead to “a host of unintended safety and security consequences.” Despite this, the report states that Logan housed up to 352 migrants overnight in Terminal E and incurred approximately $779,000 in expenses related to security, cleaning, and transportation.

The report also raises concerns about the transportation of migrants without proper identity verification and the diversion of air marshals, which could potentially compromise aviation security. Senator Ted Cruz has criticized the administration for allowing individuals to travel without adequate vetting.

The Senate report underscores tensions between federal agencies and local airport authorities over the handling of migrant arrivals and highlights the challenges of balancing humanitarian efforts with operational safety and security at major transportation hubs.