After Civilian Drone Captures Scale of Crisis at Border, Biden Admin Issues Crushing Flight Restrictions
Even though President Joe Biden’s immigration crisis has taken a back seat in news coverage due to his many other failures, it is still very much a pressing issue. Rather than dealing with it, however, the Biden administration has now taken action further to try to hide the crisis.
On Thursday, Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin posted a drone shot showing the massive number of migrants under the international bridge in Del Rio, Texas.
“Our drone is back over the international bridge in Del Rio, TX,” he wrote on Twitter. “Per source, the number of migrants waiting to be processed has now swelled to approx 8,200. It was 4,000 yesterday AM. Doubled in one day. BP overwhelmed, & I’m told situation is ‘out of control.’”
BREAKING: Our drone is back over the international bridge in Del Rio, TX. Per source, the number of migrants waiting to be processed has now swelled to approx 8,200. It was 4,000 yesterday AM. Doubled in one day. BP overwhelmed, & I’m told situation is “out of control” @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/ThJJJ0JWCT
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 16, 2021
Melugin included other videos and images in the thread showing the shocking scene, and he noted most of the migrants were Haitians.
Law enforcement source on the ground at the bridge this morning just sent me this video showing the situation there. I’m told a large majority of the migrants are Haitians and more are crossing into the US and arriving at the bridge by the minute. BP w/ limited manpower @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/dHWCrhFikq
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 16, 2021
NEW: Another stunning image from our @FoxNews drone team showing the situation at the international bridge in Del Rio, TX, where a law enforcement source tells me there are more than 8,000 migrants waiting to be processed by Border Patrol after crossing illegally into the U.S. pic.twitter.com/opey70NBNt
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 16, 2021
However, the images did not sit too well with the Biden administration. As a result, on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a two-week flight restriction over the bridge, the Daily Caller reported. The administration defended its decision by blaming it on “special security reasons.”
There is certainly a security crisis in Texas, but it is not the drones capturing pictures. Instead, it is the Biden administration’s policies leading to a full-on humanitarian crisis.
According to NPR, the Biden administration gave over 100,000 Haitians living in the U.S. the opportunity to apply for an 18-month Temporary Protected Status designation in May 2021. Now many more of them are entering the country with the hopes of gaining protection.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas suggested the FAA’s decision is an attempt to shroud the crisis from public view.
“What a coincidence,” he wrote on Twitter. “The FAA better be ready to explain to Congress why they’re suddenly blocking the media from covering Biden’s border crisis.”
What a coincidence.
The FAA better be ready to explain to Congress why they’re suddenly blocking the media from covering Biden’s border crisis. https://t.co/fd2y7G8RRg
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) September 17, 2021
In response to the scene in Del Rio, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would direct the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to close six points of entry on the southern border “to stop these caravans from overrunning our state.”
BREAKING: In response to the situation at the international bridge in Del Rio, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announces he is shutting down six points of entry along the border to “stop these migrant caravans from overrunning our state.”
Full statement from his office below @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/cvSxn2lBnv
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 16, 2021
However, he released a second statement later on Thursday reversing the decision and further blaming the Biden administration.
“Six hours after U.S. Customs and Border Protection requested help from Texas to close ports of entry and secure the border, the Biden Administration has now flip-flopped to a different strategy that abandons border security and instead makes it easier for people to cross illegally and for cartels to exploit the border,” he said.
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“The Biden Administration is in complete disarray and is handling the border crisis as badly as the evacuation from Afghanistan.
“I have directed the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to maintain their presence at and around ports of entry to deter crossings.”
UPDATE: Governor Abbott has released a new statement saying the federal government initially reached out to Texas to help with closing points of entry at the border, but reversed their decision six hours later, and “flip flopped to a strategy that abandons border security.” pic.twitter.com/IZHe1fbu8x
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 16, 2021
Biden is completely incompetent in more ways than one, but his handling of the border crisis he created may be his worst mistake. He can ban drones all he wants, but it will not change that truth.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
UPDATE, Sept. 17, 2021: This story has been updated to note that following its publication, Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin posted another tweet, informing followers that the Federal Aviation Administration had granted Fox News airspace in Del Rio, Texas, for flying drones. “BREAKING: FAA has cleared @FoxNews to fly our drones to fly in the restricted airspace around the international bridge in Del Rio,” Melugin wrote. This story and its headlines remain as published.
