The Gonzaga University men's basketball team was mistaken as "illegal invaders" this week after their team bus arrived in Michigan.
"Happening right now. Three busses just loaded up with illegal invaders at Detroit Metro. Anyone have any idea where they're headed with their police escort?" Republican State Rep. Matt Maddock wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The post from Maddock included one picture of three busses at the airport, and another picture showcasing a portion of a plane at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
Shortly after the post on Wednesday evening, however, a number of social media users pointed out that the plane and the buses were at the airport for the arrival of the Gonzaga men's basketball team, ahead of their Sweet 16 games in the NCAA March Madness tournament.
"The 'illegal invaders' he's referring to were the Gonzaga and Creighton Men's basketball teams arriving for their Sweet 16 games," Philip Lewis, of the Huffington Post wrote on X, responding to Maddock's post.
Maxwell White, of WXYZ Detroit also said that the images were of the Gonzaga basketball team, saying, "Photos show Gonzaga getting on an Allegiant plane to Detroit for the Sweet 16, and Flight Radar shows a plane from GEG to DTW landed at 7:25 p.m., around the time this photo was posted."
In another post, White shared an image showing flight data and wrote, "Here's where the flight from Spokane to DTW parked, according to Flight Radar. He also shared a screenshot from Google street view on Middlebelt across from where the plane is parked."
The Wayne County Airport Authority weighed in with Fox 2 Detroit on Thursday afternoon.
"The four men's basketball teams competing in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 at Little Caesars Arena arrived at DTW Wednesday evening. The buses seen in a photograph circulating online were transporting the basketball teams and their respective staffs," the WCAA said.
Images posted by the Gonzaga men's basketball team also show that the players arrived in Detroit on Wednesday and flew on a plane similar to the one in the image posted by Maddock.
Maddock responded to one X user pointing out that it was the Gonzaga basketball team saying "Sure kommie. Good talking point."
Over the past several months, Republicans have repeatedly criticized U.S. President Joe Biden's immigration policies amid an influx in migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. In response, some Republican governors like Texas's Greg Abbott and Florida's Ron DeSantis, have sent migrants on flights to Democrat-led cities including New York and Chicago.
In a press release in January, Abbott's office said that they have bussed over 12,000 migrants to Washington, D.C., over 37,000 to New York and over 30,000 to Chicago.
"Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden's open border policies," Abbott said.
Newsweek reached out to Maddock via email for further comment.
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