Republican congressmen from Florida will investigate TSA and Mayorkas for allowing a privileged visit by the Cuban regime to Miami Airport
"We will begin an investigation and have hearings on the irresponsible decision to receive Cuba at Miami Airport."
Congressman Carlos Gimenez (FL-26) addresses the press during the congressional border delegation visit to El Paso, Texas on March 15, 2021. President Joe Biden faced mounting pressure Monday from Republicans over his handling of a surge in migrants -- including thousands of unaccompanied children -- arriving at the US-Mexican border. Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy of California, who leads his party in the House of Representatives, told reporters last week the ""crisis at the border is spiraling out of control.""""It's entirely caused by the actions of this administration,"" said McCarthy. (Photo by Justin Hamel / AFP)
After it became known that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of President Joe Biden's administration allowed a privileged visit by representatives of the Cuban regime to the security facilities at Miami Airport, a group of Republican congressmen announced that they would begin an investigation to clarify the matter.
"We demand answers from Secretary Mayorkas and the TSA," said Republican Representative Carlos Gimenez on his X account.
"We will begin an investigation, draft a bill and have hearings on the irresponsible decision to receive a state sponsor of terrorism like Cuba at Miami Airport," he added.
Giménez shared a letter that the Republican representatives for the state of Florida, María Elvira Salazar and Mario Díaz-Balart and Florida senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, signed, in which the congressmen rebuke both Alejandro Mayorkas, as head of National Security, and the TSA administrator, David Pekoske.
"We write to you to express our deep concern and indignation at the invitation and tour of the Miami International Airport to members of the Cuban regime. It has been reported that these officials accessed security areas and had the opportunity to witness sensitive security protocols at the Airport," the letter reads.
"As you know, the Cuban regime is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism and has no reason to be invited to visit sensitive areas of an American airport," he continues.
The letter also accuses the TSA administrator of covering up the visit by not mentioning it during a hearing before a congressional subcommittee in May of this year.
"This lack of transparency begs the question of whether this omission was on purpose or whether it was a lack of judgment on the part of the TSA under his administration," he says.
In that sense, the letter raises seven precise concerns to both Mayorkas and Pekoske:
- Under what authority does the TSA or the Department of Homeland Security invite members of the Cuban Communist Party to visit sensitive areas of Miami Airport?
- What areas of the Miami Airport did you have access to?
- Which United States airports have the Cuban regime, or representatives of other countries designated as sponsors of terrorism, visited under your leadership?
- What security protocols does the TSA apply to screen foreign visitors during TSA-sponsored visits at US airports?
- What is the process to authorize a TSA-sponsored foreign visit? Did the TSA follow that process in this case?
- What visas were given to the Cuban representatives and when were those visas processed?
- Who is the current contact at Miami Airport and when were you informed of the Cuban delegation's tour?
On his X account, Senator Marco Rubio said regarding the letter that it was sent to "express our deep concern and indignation at the invitation and tour of the Miami International Airport by members of the Cuban regime." For his part, representative Mario Díaz-Balart assured that "the Cuban regime is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism and should not be invited to visit United States security areas or receive any special treatment at any United States airport." "We need answers about who authorized this visit and why. Protecting our national security and Americans must be our priority," he concluded.
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