The Federation for American Immigration Reform said Monday it wants to recruit Americans to inform on the government’s attempts to fly illegal immigrants to destinations in the interior of the U.S.
FAIR said it will run digital ads across the country asking people to report whatever they see, as the group tries to get a sense of how the Biden administration is using the flights.
The ads warn Americans that their communities may become targets for the release of illegal immigrants caught at the border.
“Our schools, hospitals, healthcare and housing cannot handle this continued strain. We as taxpayers are burdened enough,” the FAIR ads say, urging tips about flights to be sent to nightflightalert@fairus.org.
The flights have become fodder for conservative politicians and media outlets, with Republicans on Capitol Hill saying they had “grave concern” about the operation, which they say is hiding the true extent of chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but officials have described the flights as a standard part of operations in moving migrants to facilities around the country. ICE operates flights for adults and families, while the Health and Human Services Department operates flights involving unaccompanied juveniles.
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Critics say the flights have stepped up as more migrants breach the border and the Biden administration tries to spirit them out of the region to keep from overwhelming local services.
“The use of secret ‘night flights’ happens without community notice or input and is antithetical to a free society and an informed citizenry,” said Dan Stein, FAIR’s president.
Mr. Stein said FAIR, which advocates for stricter immigration controls, wants to use the tips to get a better sense of what the Biden administration is doing and to bring “transparency” to the government’s operations.
Ironically, it’s not just the Biden administration that’s moving illegal immigrants deeper into the U.S.
The Republican governors in Texas and Arizona have announced operations to take migrants caught and released by the Biden administration at the border and ship them to the nation’s capital.
Texas said the goal was to make Washington feel some of the pressure from the migrants.
Those transported by the states volunteered, signaling they were likely to end up in Washington or its suburbs with or without the states’ help.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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