Senate Republicans led by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz sent letters Wednesday to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) raising concerns over airports’ housing of illegal immigrants and warned it threatens future funding.
The Daily Caller first obtained copies of the letters to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker and President and CEO of (ACI-NA) Kevin Burke, where the lawmakers argue the redirection of resources to house illegal immigrants compromises airport security, threatens investments from U.S. taxpayers in the national airport system, and violates requirements that federally funded facilities are to be available for public use. Cruz is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
“Repurposing airport facilities and infrastructure to house illegal aliens not only degrades taxpayers’ investment in the national airport system but, in some cases, as federally-funded airport facilities are withdrawn from public access and use, it violates the requirement that these federally-funded facilities ‘be available for public use as an airport.’ No rational person would define an airport as a facility that houses illegal aliens,” the lawmakers wrote. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Ted Cruz Presses Tax-Funded Org That Wiped Recordings Encouraging DEI Hiring Practices)
READ THE LETTERS HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
“We are concerned that, absent your decisive leadership, other Democrat cities with surging populations of illegal aliens will see commercial airports as an appealing alternative to city facilities and resources and use them as shelters for illegal aliens to the detriment of the national airport system,” the lawmakers continued. “It is imperative that you take immediate steps to identify the how many airports are being used as shelters and make clear to each and every municipality involved with housing illegal aliens at airports that it is inappropriate, a degradation of the taxpayers’ investment in a robust national airport system, and could impact future federal funding.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Cruz, Top Republicans Push Back Against Agency Weaponizing Biden’s Woke Agenda)
Cruz was joined by North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, Indiana Sen. Todd Young, Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis.
The group of Senators also questioned ACI-NA over focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs instead of these airport issues. They urged ACI-NA to not turn U.S. airports into housing for illegal immigrants.