Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says there are “no plans” to send migrants to states along the northern border, after a report that said the Biden administration was considering sending flights to states such as North Dakota and Montana as part of a strategy to deal with the border crisis.
“CBP continually evaluates possible contingency plans and adjusts its operations as circumstances dictate, but currently there are no plans to transfer migrants from the Southwest border to the Northern or Coastal borders,” CBP said in a statement Tuesday.
GOP MONTANA LAWMAKER OBJECTS TO FLYING MIGRANTS TO NORTHERN BORDER FACILITIES
The Washington Post had reported that a spike in migrants into South Texas had led CBP to request planes to allow the Biden administration to fly migrants to states at the northern border.
The Post reported that officials had requested the support because of a surge they had been unable to process — the latest move in a scramble to deal with spiking numbers at the border.
The move had sparked pushback from Republicans in those states by the northern border.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said Monday that the move would “do nothing” to fix the crisis — before saying that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had told him the plan was not happening.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS FLYING MIGRANTS TO STATES NEAR CANADIAN BORDER
“Putting illegal immigrants in North Dakota would endanger our communities and do nothing to fix the border crisis @POTUS caused but still won’t acknowledge,” he tweeted. “@DHSgov told me over the weekend this won’t happen, and I plan to hold the administration to that.”
He also noted that the Obama administration had considered a similar plan.
“It was a bad idea then and it is a bad idea now,” he added.
“Senator Cramer views the safety and security of North Dakotans and the American people as a high priority,” Jake WIlkins, a spokesman for Cramer, told Fox News.
“He reached out to DHS this weekend and was told the idea of transporting people caught at the southern border to northern border states is not and has not been under serious consideration. As he said in his tweet, he plans to hold the administration to that.”
Cramer is not the only Republican to question the purported plan. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., wrote to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorakas last week requesting a briefing on the matter.
“DHS, CBP, and the Biden administration have failed to contain this crisis, and it is now greatly affecting states thousands of miles from the southern border,” Rosendale wrote. “As Montana’s representative in Congress, I strongly urge DHS and CBP to reconsider proposals to house illegal aliens from the southern border in the state of Montana.”
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The Biden administration is facing intense criticism from Republicans, and some Democrats, for its handling of the crisis. It is also using a number of different methods to house migrant children — including considering military bases and other facilities as it faces increasing numbers.
The Pentagon on Tuesday said it has received a request from Health and Human Services (HHS) to house migrant children at Texas military installations Fort Bliss and Joint Base San Antonio.
Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
