Senate Voting on Amendment to Stop Flying Illegal Immigrants Across the Country

The reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Act is underway, and the Senate can make a significant change to prevent undocumented illegal immigrants from entering and flying around our country.

After the attacks on September 11, 2001, Congress passed the REAL ID Act requiring all people, regardless of U.S. citizenship status, to show legal photo identification before boarding an aircraft. The Biden administration has found a loophole in this law. Immigrants only need to put their information into the CBP-One Mobile App, whether their true identity or not, and they will receive a Notice to Appear (NTA) or Notice to Report (NTR) which the Administration allows them to use as their identification.

The consequences of this system have been horrific. In June 2023, a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl was raped by a Haitian immigrant who lied about his intentions in the U.S. A few weeks ago, another Haitian immigrant stabbed and killed two men in Middletown, New York. Both men were allowed to cross our border and travel from state to state with ease. 

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has crafted an amendment that includes his Verifying that All Aliens have Legitimate Identification Documents “VALID” Act (S. 4051). The amendment would prohibit the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from accepting the CBP-One Mobile App, NTAs, or NTRs as lawful identification to board a flight. Airlines are also prohibited from allowing aliens to board their planes or they will face a halt in operation. 

Please contact your Senators and urge them to support Sen. Lee’s VALID Act amendment in the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Act.