Air marshals refuse to deployed on the US-Mexico border
2022.12.01 02:15
Air marshals refuse to deployed on the US-Mexico border
Budrigannews.com – A group that represents them says that more than a dozen U.S. air marshals intend to refuse deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border. This is a sign of the difficulties facing the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden as it deals with record numbers of migrant crossings.
According to Sonya LaBosco, executive director of the Air Marshal National Council, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sought volunteers from the Federal Air Marshal Service to travel to the southwest border; however, when fewer than 150 individuals registered in October, some were assigned.
The air marshals, who ride on U.S. airlines to guard against security threats, are a part of the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a subagency of the Department of Homeland Security.
In a letter that was sent to the agency on November 4, a lawyer for the air marshal group said that the deployments are illegal because they involve responsibilities that are not related to the job.
LaBosco stated that there were less than 3,000 marshals, although DHS does not disclose the number.
LaBosco asserted that the deployments would necessitate marshals performing unrelated tasks at the border, such as watching migrant children, and would compromise U.S. aviation security during the holiday travel season.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security defended the deployments, pointing out that marshals have previously been assigned to help with hurricane relief and that some were temporarily assigned to the border in 2019.
The spokesperson stated that U.S. flights would continue to be protected.
The marshals’ strategy was first reported by The Washington Examiner.
The Biden administration is preparing for the possible end of Title 42, a COVID-era border order that allows U.S. authorities to quickly expel migrants without giving them a chance to seek asylum to Mexico or other countries.
