REPORT: New DHS OIG report finds fed agencies released noncitizens without ID into US

2

For ads-free news, click here.

From Fox News: In a new, heavily redacted report, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General (IG) found that several federal agencies did not fully assess risks associated with releasing noncitizens without identification into the U.S. and allowing them to travel on domestic flights.

Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari said in the report that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) failed to ensure that high-risk noncitzens without ID are not entering the country and boarding domestic flights.

The IG said that according to federal law, “noncitizens without ID are not admissible into the country and “shall be detained,” but that CBP and ICE are permitted to release noncitizens into the U.S. based on various circumstances.

The report notes that CBP and ICE accept self-reported biographical information, which they use to give migrants immigration forms. The migrants are then able to get on domestic flights, even if they do not have identification.

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin shared highlights from the DHS IG report on social media. He wrote:

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 and ICE cannot ensure they are keeping high-risk noncitizens without identification from entering the country. Additionally, TSA cannot ensure its vetting and screening procedures prevent high-risk noncitizens who may pose a threat to the flying public from boarding domestic flights.”

More highlights below 👇🏻

The IG says that according to federal law, “noncitizens without ID are not admissible into the country and “shall be detained,” but that CBP and ICE are permitted to release noncitizens into the U.S. based on various circumstances.

The report says CBP and ICE accept “self reported biographical information, which they use to give migrants immigration forms, who are then able to get on domestic flights, even if they don’t have ID.

The IG says he asked DHS for data on the number of noncitizens who did not have ID and were released into the U.S. between fiscal years 2021-2023, but CBP and ICE were unable to provide the data because they don’t log whether a noncitizen had ID in their databases. The OIG adds that “immigration officers we interviewed acknowledged the risks of allowing noncitizens without ID into the country.”

The report finds that the TSA relies on data and background checks on noncitizens from CBP and ICE to determine if someone is a threat, but if that data is incomplete, “TSA’s methods to screen individuals who pose a threat would not necessarily prevent these individuals from boarding flights.”

Additionally, there are heavily redacted portions of the report where TSA conducted assessments on the risks of using the CBP One cell phone app as a screening tool – but the results are not disclosed.

The IG report goes on to say they identified “similar weaknesses” in CBP’s screening processes that allowed “high risk individuals into the country”, including someone who was released while being on the FBI Terror Watchlist in 2022 and two Afghans paroled into the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome who may have posed a threat to national security.

The report concludes: “If CBP and ICE continue to allow noncitizens – whose identities immigration officers cannot confirm – to enter the country, they may inadvertently increase national security risks.”

DHS did NOT concur with the IG’s findings, with both ICE and CBP pushing back.

DHS says they “cannot detain all individuals subject to detention, including inadmissible noncitizens without ID, due to several reasons including a lack of resources (bed space).

ICE said their currently funded detention capacity of 41,500 beds doesn’t allow them to detain every noncitizen who doesn’t have ID and valid documents.

CBP said their detention facilities are for “short term” detention, and they can’t legally hold noncitizens longer than the law allows, even to mitigate potential risks.

TSA said the report doesn’t reflect their current policies.

Read the full report here: https://oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2024-10/OIG-24-65-Sep24-Redacted.pdf

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) reacted to the report, writing in a social media post, “Damning report released by DHS IG which confirms the Department is ignoring the law and actively putting national security at risk by flooding the country with illegals who have not been vetted. Further proof that the Senate should have impeached Secretary Mayorkas for his astounding dereliction of duty.”

Rep. Mark Green, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, released the following statement:

“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.

“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.”

Elon Musk wrote in a post on Wednesday, “Takes less than 5 minutes and zero documentation to get approved as an illegal immigrant and be flown to the United States with air tickets paid for by the American taxpayer.”

Podcaster Mary Katharine Ham pointed out she sure isn’t allowed to board flights without the proper ID.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL DML NEWS APP READERS ABOUT COMMENTS ON ARTICLES: The feature on our website that automatically approves comments is currently down.  We are hoping it will be fixed this week, but it is out of our control. We are making every effort to come in every few minutes and manually push all pending comments out.  We apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your patience and understanding until this matter is resolved.  Please DO continue posting your comments.  Your interaction and feedback is still very important to us.  As usual, comments calling for violence or death toward any individual are not permitted.

The Dennis Michael Lynch Podcast archive is available below, with the most recent on top. Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the show by downloading The DML News App or go to Apple Podcasts.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

CLICK HERE FOR COMMENTS SECTION