The Department of Homeland Security warned three U.S. airlines that their refusal to partner with DHS over the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce U.S. immigration law “puts more children at risk.”
“It’s unfortunate that American Airlines, United, and Frontier Airlines no longer want to partner with the brave men and women of DHS to protect the traveling public, combat human trafficking, and to swiftly reunite unaccompanied illegal immigrant children with their families,” DHS spokesman Tyler Houlton said in a statement Wednesday.
“Buckling to a false media narrative only exacerbates the problems at our border and puts more children at risk from traffickers,” he added, “We wish the airlines would instead choose to be part of the solution.”
The entire DHS statement was also posted on Twitter.
It’s unfortunate that @AmericanAir , @united, and @FlyFrontier no longer want to partner with the brave men and women of DHS to protect the traveling public, combat human trafficking, and to swiftly reunite unaccompanied illegal immigrant children with their families.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) June 20, 2018
Despite being provided facts on this issue, these airlines clearly do not understand our immigration laws and the long-standing devastating loopholes that have caused the crisis at our southern border.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) June 20, 2018
Buckling to a false media narrative only exacerbates the problems at our border and puts more children at risk from traffickers. We wish the airlines would instead choose to be part of the solution.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) June 20, 2018
DHS’ tough response comes after the three airlines argued that the administration’s “zero tolerance” approach to immigration, which has led to the separation of families in certain cases, is not consistent with their company virtues and values.
“The family separation process that has been widely publicized is not at all aligned with the values of American Airlines — we bring families together, not apart,” American Airlines said in a statement Wednesday. (RELATED: American Airlines Weighs In On Illegal Immigration Debate)
“Based on our serious concerns about this policy and how it’s in deep conflict with our company’s values,” United said in a similar statement, “We have contacted federal officials to inform them that they should not transport immigrant children on United aircraft who have been separated from their parents.”
Frontier Airlines explained on Twitter that it “prides itself on being a family airline and we will not knowingly allow our flights to be used to transport migrant children away from their families.”
DHS stressed that it has, for 15 years, “worked diligently with America’s airlines to secure aviation and facilitate the travel by air of millions of Americans and visitors and we will continue to do so.”
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