Today, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) and Oversight Republicans sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson requesting information on the agency’s decision to ban unmanned aerial drones covering the rapidly deteriorating situation in Del Rio, Texas. The Biden Administration’s attempt to hide the conditions and consequences of the Border Crisis is concerning and their actions to censor the ability of U.S. media outlets to accurately report on the crisis is unacceptable.
“Over the last several days, media outlets have been reporting on more than 10,000 migrants who arrived and illegally crossed the border into Del Rio, Texas at one time, overwhelming U.S. personnel at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and creating a humanitarian crisis as thousands of migrants sleep outdoors under a bridge waiting to be processed,” wrote the lawmakers. “The Committee on Oversight and Reform Republicans write to request information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on recent actions taken to censor the ability of U.S. media outlets to accurately report on the crisis on the southern border. By preventing the use of unmanned drones to observe and report on rapidly deteriorating conditions in Del Rio, Texas, the Biden Administration is attempting to hide the conditions and consequences of the border crisis from the American people.”
Footage and images obtained and reported from unmanned aircraft prove the abrupt reversal of the Trump Administration’s deterrent policies has led to a continued crisis. In fact, it is projected that nearly two million illegal aliens will cross the southern border this year, a record high and assault on the rule of law in the U.S. Although FAA granted clearance to at least one news organization to operate drones, the lawmakers are demanding that the FAA reverse its decision completely and once again permit aerial media surveillance to understand the consequences of the Biden Administration’s decisions to not enforce the rule of law, or even pursue deterrence policies.
“Considering the timing of the announcement, the specific geography targeted, the lack of justification given for the “Special Security Reasons,” and the specificity of the announcement targeting unmanned aircraft systems, we can only conclude that this action by the FAA was done to shield the Biden Administration from scrutiny over the consequences of its disastrous border policies and prevent the public from receiving more images of poor conditions on the border in Del Rio, Texas,” concluded the lawmakers.
To better understand the FAA’s decision to prevent media coverage of the Biden Border Crisis in Del Rio, Texas, Republicans are requesting an immediate briefing and all information related to the FAA’s decision.
Read the letter to Administrator Dickson here.