(The Center Square) – After U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, demanded answers about national security issues related to airports – including Boston Logan International Airport, used by 9/11 terrorists – another group is also demanding answers.
Cruz, the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, raised concerns about “the number of improperly vetted aliens who have illegally crossed the border" and how they may increase "the likelihood of an attack on or in domestic airports.”
As more cities receive illegal border crossers, shelters are full and airports became ad hoc shelters. The problem became so great that in July, a new Massachusetts policy went into effect to ban overnight stays at airports.
Last year, Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll urged residents to house illegal border crossers, saying, "step up if you're willing to have an additional family be part of your family."
One year later, the state converted an empty former prison, the Bay State Correctional Center in Norfolk, to house them, resulting in local outrage, CBS News Boston reported .
Many federal and Texas officials warn Americans not to house illegal border crossers, arguing the majority haven’t been vetted and were unlawfully released into the country.
Contrary to claims made by the Biden-Harris administration that they are legally in the country, the notice to appear documents they are given state they are inadmissible, meaning they do not qualify for entry. The NTAs have a date several years in the future to appear before an immigration judge.
Many have been released through several parole programs created by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Some are directly linked to violent crimes committed against Americans and migrants. The parole programs were included among illegal acts in the impeachment charges filed against Mayorkas. Dozens of state attorneys general argue they violate federal law and sued to stop them.
Those released are also not thoroughly vetted, DHS Office of Inspector General reports warn . Border Patrol agents agree, saying dangerous criminals are being released.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Boston agents have been actively arresting criminal foreign nationals, including those assaulting pregnant women and children, The Center Square reported .
Eight of the 158 U.S. House Democrats who voted against deporting violent offenders, including child sex offenders, are from Massachusetts.
ICE also just released a report stating that over 662,000 violent offenders are on its docket who are illegally in the U.S. and slated for deportation. Many are living freely, especially in communities whose local law enforcement agencies won’t comply with their detainer requests.
The report states that some local jurisdictions “have reduced their cooperation with ICE, to include refusal to honor ICE detainer requests, even for noncitizens who have been convicted of serious felonies and pose an ongoing threat to public safety” due to their so-called “sanctuary city” policies. “However, ‘sanctuary’ policies can end up shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize those same communities.”
Federal reports also show that ICE is not detaining or removing inadmissibles flying into the country.
While Biden claimed his administration reduced illegal border crossings between ports of entry by 60%, federal data shows a record number were flown into the country and arrived at ports of entry – more than 1.3 million – in the last year through just two Mayorkas parole programs.
With reports that illegal border crossers were returning to spend the night at Logan International Airport, the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance called on Gov. Maura Healey “to make necessary changes to stop Massachusetts from continuing to be a global magnet for illegal and inadmissible migrants.”
“Despite some small efforts to curtail abuse of the emergency shelter system, the flow of illegal and inadmissible migrants is still coming and our emergency shelter system continues to be overwhelmed,” Paul Diego Craney, an alliance spokesman, said. “This will continue to happen as long as our state encourages it with near unlimited benefits and other policies which make it worth the journey.”
The Right to Shelter law was enacted to provide shelter to indigent and homeless populations, “not to act as a clearing house for people flooding across our open southern border,” Craney said.
The recent issue at the airport is the third time since the Healey administration “‘fixed’ the problem,” he says. The situation “isn’t fair to the travelers who depend on Logan Airport and it's not fair to the people who are being housed in these substandard conditions,” Craney said. “It’s time for Governor Healey to announce to the world that Massachusetts is full and put a residency requirement on the state benefits that are drawing so many people from across the globe to the Commonwealth.”
Healey’s press office did not respond to requests for comment. Phone lines for her office are not staffed; calls go straight to voicemail. Massport and Logan International Airports did not respond to requests for comment.
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