Migrants without proper identification may apparently opt out of being photographed by TSA upon entry at Miami International Airport.
According to a sign posted on X by conservative podcaster Dave Rubin Thursday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is allowing migrants to pass through entry points without having their picture taken.
“U.S. airport Non-U.S. Citizen Document Validation Using CBP One Technology,” the top of the sign reads.
“CBP One” refers to the mobile application launched in October 2020 that allows migrants to pre-plan their appointments with U.S. customs officials. Last fall, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) records made public by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) revealed migrants were exploiting the app to gain entry. According to the Washington Examiner, the app has also been abused by Central American cartels using virtual private networks (VPN) to smuggle people across the border.
The text of the sign posted by Rubin reads as follows:
TSA is partnering with CBP to test the use of CBP One at certain TSA checkpoints to validate adult non-U.S. citizen travel documentation when the traveler does not otherwise have an acceptable form of identification.
How it works: 1. Notify the TSA officer that you are a migrant. 2. The TSA officer will take a photo (optional). 3. If requested, provide your alien identification number or biographic information. 4. Follow officer instruction.
Photo capture is voluntary. You may decline to have your photo taken. If you do not wish to have your phot taken, please notify a TSA Officer. You must still provide your alien identification number or biographical information to the TSA Officer, even if you do not have your photo taken.
CBP One only verifies the information you previously provided to CBP and will not store your information. Because your information is verified through CBP One, TSA will also not store your information as part of this process.
Neither the TSA nor the CBP immediately responded to The Federalist’s inquiries Thursday morning.
According to a “Recent Update” on the CBP website, the agency updated the CBP One app in February last year to “streamline the photo capture and scheduling process.”
“Starting April 29, 2023,” the agency said, “the CBP One application will remove the vulnerability requirement in preparation for the end of Title 42.”
The Title 42 program, which empowered border officials to expel migrants quickly back to Mexico, expired on May 11. Conditions along the southern border have continued to deteriorate, with more than 300,000 illegal immigrant encounters in December, setting a new record for the number of encounters in a single month. At least 1.7 million “known gotaways” have escaped apprehension since fiscal year 2021, according to the House Homeland Security Committee. In the 2023 fiscal year alone, 169 individuals caught were on the terrorist watchlist.
[RELATED: Biden’s Border Crisis Is As Bad As Ever, His Admin Is Just Better At Hiding It]
Democrats in Washington, however, are holding additional funds for border security hostage to extract tens of billions in more aid to Ukraine. After a meeting this week with the president and congressional leaders at the White House, Senate Democrat Majority Leader Chuck Schumer remained defiant.
“The president himself said over and over again, that he is willing to move forward on border,” Schumer told reporters. “And so, we said we have to do both. There were a couple of people in the room who said let’s do border first. We said we have to do both together.”
On Capitol Hill, House Republicans are moving forward with their plans for impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with their second and final hearing Thursday. The hearing featured two mothers who blamed the loss of their children on the agency’s failure to manage the southern border.
“In my humble opinion, Mr. Mayorkas’ border policy is partially responsible for my daughter’s death,” said Josephine Dunn, whose daughter died from fentanyl poisoning.
According to ABC News, fentanyl seizures are up 860 percent since 2019.
