Republican Senators are accusing airports in Democratic-run cities like New York of housing illegal migrants for extended periods.
Immigration has become a hot-button issue for national Republicans, becoming a centerpiece of campaigns as evident in various exit polls of Super Tuesday voters in which more conservatives in states like Virginia and North Carolina view illegal entry into the United States as a bigger issue than the economy.
President Joe Biden, who has received blowback for annual rises in illegal migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border, is likely to address immigration during Thursday's State of the Union. His administration and other Democrats have countered Republicans' narratives by pointing out how Republicans in the Senate were responsible for rejecting $100 billion immigration legislation, all for what they claim is politically related to Donald Trump winning back the White House this November.
A letter sent Wednesday by Republicans on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Wednesday to New York/New Jersey Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton claims that since at least June 2023, JFK International Airport in Queens "has housed thousands of illegal aliens" at one of its buildings, Building 197.
The letter reads: "This and other 'respite centers' are ostensibly intended to be only short-term shelters while more permanent arrangements are made. In fact, Building 197 is designated for aeronautical purposes, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that 'the use of airport property (Building 197) for the proposed emergency shelter must be on a limited, short-term basis.'"
Melissa Braid, communications director for ranking member Cruz, told Newsweek via email on Thursday that previous letters were sent to Democratic-run sanctuary cities purportedly housing migrants in airports. One included correspondence with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for allegedly housing migrants at a terminal in O'Hare International Airport.
Braid also highlighted part of the letter stating that "no rational person would define an airport as a facility that houses illegal aliens..." which goes on to say: "Yet under Democrat leadership of the White House and liberal cities and states, this is now our nation's reality, with thousands of illegal aliens living in America's airports."
It continues: "It is a warped repurposing of America's aviation system and is a direct consequence of the open border policies embraced by the far left and President Biden—and something which is only being made worse by the lawless sanctuary policies of places like New York and NYC."
Republican Senators Tedd Budd, Dan Sullivan, J.D. Vance and Todd Young signed the letter. Newsweek reached out to the senators via email for further comment.
A spokesperson for the New York/New Jersey Port Authority told Newsweek via email on Thursday that the letter was being reviewed, providing no additional comment.
The letter also alludes to statements made in June 2023 by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who according to local ABC affiliate WABC said that the unused hangar—Building 197—at JFK was pending FAA approval and had been discussed by officials as a migrant shelter for asylum seekers.
The site at that time was filled with cots and bathroom and shower trailers, slated to hold as many as 1,000 people.
That hangar was previously used by the U.S. Postal Service as an overflow facility.
Newsweek reached out to Hochul's office via email for comment.
Those same Republicans sent a very similar letter to Massachusetts Port Authority Interim Executive Director Edward Freni on Wednesday, claiming that since at least July 2023, Logan Airport in Boston "has been housing illegal aliens, purportedly for a few hours while the state and Massport find shelter for the aliens."
The letter adds: "More recently, however, more than 100 illegal aliens were observed sleeping in Terminal E on a nightly basis."
In an email to Newsweek, a spokesperson for Massport declined to comment on the letter.
Federal immigration attorney Hector Quiroga told Newsweek via phone that the figures presented by the Republican senators should be taken with skepticism, as identifying actual statistics regarding housed migrants is quite difficult.
"There's no actual data that there's thousands of illegal immigrants being housed... Typically, if you have an airport and people are being housed, how did they show up without a visa?" Quiroga said. "Usually have some sort of documentation."
He said that illegal immigration is a "crisis" as has been labeled by Republicans, though he says Republicans like the ones who sent these letters were not in support of legislation that would have provided more money to agencies like ICE.
"This idea that the American taxpayer is paying to send [migrants] back [to their home countries] has been debunked many times," he added. "Now, I think it's a clever way to attack the so-called sanctuary cities...But it lacks the actual data. Where are the thousands of illegals being housed, where are they coming from? They don't have any way to back up what they're saying."
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Nick Mordowanec is a Newsweek reporter based in Michigan. His focus is reporting on Ukraine and Russia, along with social ... Read more
