Paul Requests Information on Domestic Relocation Flights for Illegal Immigrants

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray requesting information regarding domestic relocation flights provided to illegal immigrants.

The letter points to troubling revelations from the recent trial of Jose Antonio Ibarra, who was convicted of the murder of Laken Riley. Evidence presented at trial revealed that Ibarra received a taxpayer-funded “humanitarian flight” from New York City to Atlanta on September 28, 2023. Ranking Member Paul expressed concern over the lack of oversight and accountability in tracking migrants who travel freely across the country using government-funded transportation. He emphasized that such practices not only represent a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars but also pose serious risks to public safety and highlight the broader consequences of the ongoing border crisis.

You can read the full letter HERE or below:

Dear Secretary Mayorkas and Director Wray:

As the current Ranking Member and incoming Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), I write to request information regarding domestic relocation flights provided to illegal immigrants. 

During the recent trial of Jose Antonio Ibarra, who was convicted of the murder of Laken Riley, it was revealed that Ibarra received a one-way ticket for a “humanitarian flight” from New York City to Atlanta on September 28, 2023. Reports indicate that Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, along with his former roommate, also a Venezuelan national, visited the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City in September 2023 to request a “humanitarian flight” ticket to Atlanta. Ibarra was previously apprehended by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2022 near El Paso, Texas where he was subsequently released into the country through parole. 

This situation highlights a gross misuse of taxpayer funds and the severe consequences of the ongoing border crisis on communities across the United States. Migrants who have entered the U.S. illegally have been able to move freely across the country using taxpayer-funded flights and other means of transportation. Alarmingly, there appears to be a lack of accountability or oversight in tracking these movements. Ibarra’s one-way ticket brought him to a community where he later committed the heinous act of murdering an innocent young woman. This raises critical questions: How many other individuals with criminal histories have been transported to unsuspecting communities, and who is responsible for monitoring their whereabouts? The alarming use of taxpayer-funded flights for illegal aliens underscores the urgent need for accountability and transparency. 

For this reason, I request you provide complete, original, and unredacted copies of the following documents and information no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on December 20, 2024: 

1. A list of all “humanitarian flight” tickets purchased from January 2021 to present including the following information for each flight:
a. cost 
b. date
c. origin 
d. destination 
e. airline/carrier 
f. bureau that provided funds 

2. The eligibility criteria for migrants to qualify for a “humanitarian flight”; 

3. Safeguards in place to prevent individuals with criminal histories from receiving “humanitarian flights”; 

4. Processes for tracking the destinations and subsequent movements of migrants who receive “humanitarian flights”; 

5. All communications between or among the FBI, DHS, CBP, and ICE regarding “humanitarian flights”; 

6. All communications between the FBI, DHS, CBP, or ICE and federal, state, or local government agencies and law enforcement regarding “humanitarian flights”; 

7. All communications between the FBI, DHS, CBP, or ICE and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) related to “humanitarian flights”; 

8. All DHS records, including those from its components and the complete Alien File (A-File), for individuals granted “humanitarian flights”, including details of their immigration status and criminal history; 

9. All receipts and records for any costs or expenses from DHS relating to these “humanitarian flights”; 

10. A description of which Treasury account(s) these costs or expenses were paid out of and how much is remaining in these accounts; and 

11. A description of the statutory authority that allows DHS funds to be used for these purposes. 

I appreciate your attention to this important matter.