TSA Allowed 25 Illegal Aliens to Attend Mass. Flight School Owned By Illegal Alien
- Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:47am by
Jason Howerton
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(JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/GettyImages)
A glaring loophole in government regulation that allows people on the no-fly list to learn how to fly was uncovered during a hearing on Wednesday. Now, unbelievably, it appears the federal government has also been approving flight training for illegal aliens.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approved flight training for 25 illegal aliens at a Boston-area flight school, which was even owned by an illegal alien, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Among the students at the illegal-alien flight school were eight people who were in the country illegally and 17 who had overstayed their approved period in the U.S., CNSNews.com reports.
Even more disturbing, six of the illegal aliens were eventually awarded pilot’s licenses.
The worrisome flight school was discovered when local police pulled the owner in an apparent traffic stop and determined that he was in fact an illegal alien.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, said it was shocking that foreign nationals are being allowed to learn to fly “just like Mohammed Atta and the other 9/11 hijackers did.”
“We have cancer patients, Iraq War veterans and Nobel Prize winners all forced to undergo rigorous security checks before getting on an airplane and at the same time, ten years after 9/11, there are foreign nationals in the United States trained to fly just like Mohammed Atta and the other 9/11 hijackers did, and not all of them are necessarily getting a security background check,” Rogers said.
Stephen Lord, GAO’s director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues, testified before Rogers’ committee Wednesday and was forced to answer some tough questions.
“Isn’t it true that, based on your report, the Transportation Security Administration cannot assure the American people that foreign terrorists are not in this country learning how to fly airplanes, yes or no?”
“At this time, no,” Lord replied.
CNSNews.com reports that the illegal alien who owned the Boston-area flight school had not been subject to a required TSA security threat assessment and had not been approved for flight training by the TSA, yet he was still able to acquire two Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilot licenses.
In the tragic 9/11 attacks, the hijackers were in the United States with legal visas but had over stayed their visas. Meanwhile, they learned how to pilot an airplane at flight schools in Florida, Arizona and Minnesota. In response, the TSA implemented the “Alien Flight Student Program (AFSP) to help determine whether foreign students enrolling at flight schools pose pose a security threat,” Lord said in written testimony delivered Wednesday.
Under AFSP, foreign nationals are supposed to go through a TSA security threat assessment before getting any flight training in order to determine whether there is a reasonable security threat to the U.S.
“According to TSA regulations, an individual poses a security threat when the individual is suspected of posing, or is known to pose, a threat to transportation or national security, a threat of air piracy or terrorism, a threat to airline or passenger security, or a threat to civil aviation security,” Lord explained.
He continued: “According to TSA officials, when a foreign national applies to AFSP to obtain flight training, TSA uses information submitted by the foreign national–such as name, date of birth, and passport information–to conduct a criminal history records check, a review of the Terrorist Screening Database, and a review of the Department of Homeland Security’s TECS [anti-terrorism] system.”
But one thing not checked for is immigration status, a “weakness” noted by the GAO.
From the GAO report titled, “General Aviation Security: TSA’s Process for Ensuring Foreign Flight Students Do Not Pose a Security Risk Has Weaknesses“:
“AFSP is not designed to determine whether a foreign flight student entered the country legally; thus, a foreign national can be approved for training through AFSP after entering the country illegally.”
“In March 2010, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigated a Boston-area flight school after local police stopped the flight school owner for a traffic violation and discovered that he was in the country illegally. In response to this incident, ICE launched a broader investigation of the students enrolled at the flight school.”
“ICE found that 25 of the foreign nationals at this flight school had applied to AFSP and had been approved by TSA to begin flight training after their security threat assessment had been completed; however,” reads the GAO report, “the ICE investigation and our subsequent inquiries revealed the following issues, among other things:
Eight of the 25 foreign nationals who received approval by TSA to begin flight training were in ‘entry without inspection’ status, meaning they had entered the country illegally. Three of these had obtained FAA airman certificates [pilot’s license]: 2 held FAA private pilot certificates and 1 held an FAA commercial pilot certificate.
“Seventeen of the 25 foreign nationals who received approval by the TSA to begin flight training were in ‘overstay’ status, meaning they had overstayed their authorized period of admission into the United States.
“In addition, the flight school owner held two FAA airman certificates. Specifically, he was a certified Airline Transport Pilot (cargo pilot) and a Certified Flight Instructor. However, he had never received a TSA security threat assessment or been approved by TSA to obtain flight training. He had registered with TSA as a flight training provider under AFSP.”
A GAO spokesperson told CNSNews.com that none of the 25 illegal aliens who attended the Massachusetts flight school appeared to be from Muslim countries based on their names, which appeared to be Latin American.
“From January 2006 through September 2011, 25,599 foreign nationals had applied for FAA airman certificates, indicating they had completed flight training,” the GAO report reveals.
However, the GAO determined that not everyone in the FAA registry had been subjected to thorough background checks.
“TSA’s analysis indicated that some of the 25,599 foreign nationals in the FAA airmen registry were not in the TSA AFSP database, indicating that these individuals had not applied to the AFSP or been vetted by TSA before taking flight training and receiving an FAA airman certificate,” according to the GAO.
“TSA’s analysis indicated that an additional number of the 25,599 foreign nationals in the FAA airmen registry were also in the TSA AFSP database but had not been successfully vetted, meaning that they had received an FAA airman certificate but had not been successfully vetted or received permission from TSA to begin flight training.”
The TSA and ICE are working on a pilot program to properly vet foreign nationals and check them against immigration databases, though no time frame or real plan of action has been developed.
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Comments (94)
supertruckerdave
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:45amFurther proof that evolution doesn’t exist. People are getting dumber, not smarter. If evolution were true they would be getting smarter. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO AMERICA? Every day I want to just cry because we’re losing this country.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:11pmI found this question and answer a bit strange;
“Isn’t it true that, based on your report, the Transportation Security Administration cannot assure the American people that foreign terrorists are not in this country learning how to fly airplanes, yes or no?”
“At this time, no,” Lord replied.
I’ll change the word “cannot” to “can” and look at the question and answer again.
“Isn’t it true that, based on your report, the Transportation Security Administration “can” assure the American people that foreign terrorists are not in this country learning how to fly airplanes, yes or no?”
“At this time, no,” Lord replied.
See the double negative? I wonder if Lord did?
Report Post »Mutiny
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:20pmI think we are regressing.
What is so funny, is there will be people all over this article screaming about the TSA, all while supporting Romney who has said a few times now he wants the TSA to stay.
Report Post »Flag-Man
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:20pmAgain, my wife ask me, how can such highly educated people (TSA Congress etc) can be so stupid?
Report Post »almont
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:23pmI feel the same way, I’m so frustrated I could ………
Report Post »We need to require drug testing for everone in the government (starting at the very top) ASAP. The only explanation to this stupidity has to be drugs.
imsteph
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:35pmI can‘t believe that the article didn’t mention how many arab nationals are on the TSA payrolls….and in leadership positions…
Report Post »so we get publicly molested in order to take a flight-while illegals get to operate flight schools illegally, train illegals, and certify illegals…in order to fly weapons in our airspace.
RedManBlueState
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 2:25pmOf course, haven’t you seen Idiocracy? Survival of the fittest isn’t the smartest or richest, but the ones who reproduce the most. That’s the TAKERS!! Soon there won’t be any more producers.
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 3:15pmThis is the reason which PROBLEM SOLVER has posted in the past of why it is legal to have a foreigner as our President..and that we are owned by the Banks and the UN since 1933 I believe..and how they deceive us into thinking that our votes count..and why they choose our President for us. brought to you from the Republic of Arizona..
Report Post »http://www.republicforarizona.org/history.html
This I believe was brought to you from the very un Federal Reserve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28tE0fKpISM
armyofnibiru
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 4:18pmwhat do you expect when the muslum brotherhood runs the white house .while the tsa sticks their hands up 6 year old clothes and strips granny out of their depends.no one looks at the band of jose’s[in 2007 the biggest name change in mexico city was from mohamed to jose] .how else are they going to get the next wave of highjackers trained.its the price we pay for letting a JIHADIST steal the election in 08.p.s.mcain sit down and shut up you idgiot.les you be rounded up like the rest of the traitors.
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 5:13pmThank goodness they aren’t Muslim. Thank goodness there is no Muslim infiltration into the government here. What a crock of ……………
Report Post »“But one thing not checked for is immigration status, a “weakness” noted by the GAO.” That will be the epitath of this country.
hamptonsurfer
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:44amgee, that’s a shock. SINCE THEIR ALL CRACKHEADS! you ever see the shift change at JFK airport in nyc? it ain’t pretty, like a shift change at the East LA Crips headquarters.
Report Post »hatchetjob
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:58amThat’s a great description, sadly. And just think, it will probably get much worse in this country.
Report Post »txannie
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:34am“Loophole”…another word for “the fox running the henhouse”….and we all know what a fox does to a henhouse.
Report Post »drphil69
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:33amThis is LIBERALISM. They don’t do what is NECESSARY to protect us, they do what is EASY. It is EASY TO GROPE LITTLE GIRLS, OLD MEN, THE DISABLED – THEN CLAIM WHAT A GREAT JOB YOU ARE DOING. ACTUALLY PROTECTING US… THAT’S HARD WORK, AND LIBERALS DON’T KNOW HOW TO WORK HARD – AFTER ALL OBAMA CLAIMED, “IF YOU GOT A BUSINESS, YOU DIDN’T BUILD THAT… SOMEONE ELSE DID!”
Report Post »oldchevyguy
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:31amYou just can’t make this S–T up!!!
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:29pmI found it strange that the “Boston Police” even bothered doing a background check on the owner when he was pulled over for a “an apparent traffic stop ”.
Isn‘t this against Holder’s policies? The Boston Police are in trouble now….
Report Post »armyofnibiru
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 4:21pmmonk ,its massechussets not arizona.
Report Post »KenInIL
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:30amHow does an illegal alien get a license to run a flight school anyway ???
It makes you think the TSA is only into groping people for the fun of it. They are not checking out obvious things like this flight school owner. They allow people to transport themselves across our border, but grope people flying from Des Moines to Denver even tho we know all terrorists are flying from San Fran to LA (its why they need HS rail).
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:25pm“According to TSA officials, when a foreign national applies to AFSP to obtain flight training, TSA uses information submitted by the foreign national–such as name, date of birth, and passport information…”
So, if they have the passport and check it out, shouldn’t they be able to determine if they are in the Country legally? Sounds like they didn’t check the passports.
But, I guess if an illegal is running the training program… why would he require any student to fill out any paperwork? Just like illegals running businesses here that pay cash and don’t hand out 1099 or W2 forms.
Report Post »zoro51
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:25amshut TSA down now if WET BACKS or MURDERING MUSLUMS are flying more attacks n ILL piloted planes will go down FIRE THE TSA THEY ARENT SECURITY WHAT SO EVER but a bunch of HORNY gropaing WANNA BEA rent a cops
Report Post »Daveed
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:25amTSA is arming the Muslim jihadist terrorists , DOJ is arming the Mexican Drug Cartel terrorists under our noses. I can only come up with they arming them for 9/11 Mother of all Caliphates against the American people. First as a people, then your Republic you have to name the enemy. All the facts, show the top 3 enemies to the American people, our sovreign Nation are:
1. Our government
2. Muslim Jihadist
3. Mexicans
The Muslims or Mexicans could not do what they have done without Americans own countrymen/women setting them up for the kill. It is sad.
Love, honor and decency is the right thing, if none of those are respected by your enemies, they will just as gladly shoot the honorable, loving and decent Americans along with the ones who are neither honorable, decent or loving.
Report Post »tommyg524
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:15amTJefferson had it right all along. The undoing of this country, or any country, will be done from the inside out. We’ve been screwed for a while now. The trick is, to do it an inch at a time, that way the sheeple don’t know what hit them on the last day.
Report Post »eternal_vigilance
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:11amIf you spent as much time proof reading your articles as you do my post. (five words and three letters) there wouldn’t be as many typos.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:18amBut but but… you might say something they don’t want their audience to know. lmao
Report Post »elosogrande
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:11amEverybody involved has to be fired – no benefits – no severance – no nuthin’.
Report Post »This goes for Big Sis, and everyone under her.
GreatGu
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:11amAnd based on the Traitor In Chief’s track record for defense, this surprises you how?
Report Post »JEANNIEMAC
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:08amhttp://americac2c.com/profiles/blogs/bulgaria-bombing-dearbornistan-connection?xg_source=msg_mes_network
Report Post »A Dearborn, Michigan license was found at the Bulgaria bomb site. This Michigan city is almost 50% Muslim. They are infesting our nation, just as they are doing to Europe. Political Correctness be damned, when we allow enemies to call the shots.
GrayPanther
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:23amVERY good point. Too bad we have a Pro- Muslim anti – American administration in power. Can we PLEASE remove them from office in November? And let’s also remove dirty Harry from his leadership (?) role in the senate. Amen.
Report Post »TruthPolice60
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:32amWe need to end ALL immigration from ALL muslim countries. Look at what muslim immigration has done to France, England and other Euro countries. They don’t come to assimilate. They come to colonize. We can stop it now before it’s too late or we can become France and lose our culture, while gaining another permanent underclass.
Report Post »armyofnibiru
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 4:26pmdingy harry
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:07amThe obama regime has insured that Hamas has it’s own private Air Force. They just use commercial Airliners.
Report Post »billo
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:06amSo what happened to all the illegal aliens? Were they rounded up and sent home? Were they granted the benefits of the“The Dream Act” retroactively? Was anyone fired or even reprimanded for this? WTF?!?!?
Report Post »eternal_vigilance
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:06amT.S.A. Transforming to Socialism in America.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:05am“A GAO spokesperson told CNSNews.com that none of the 25 illegal aliens who attended the Massachusetts flight school appeared to be from Muslim countries based on their names, which appeared to be Latin American.”
Report Post »—————————————————————–
So they changed their name from Hussein to Chavez, can you REALLY trust anything a government employee says?
armyofnibiru
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 4:30pmjose chaves
Report Post »Tagudinian
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:04amThis is Obama’s plan. It is part of his bigger plan to destroy America. If he cannot destroy America with overspending, if he cannot destroy it by lying, he can destroy it by training illegals to fly so that eventually when they duplicate the 9/11 event, he can wash his hands. It was not his fault.
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:58amProblem Solver has posted this information before.This is from Arizona and makes it a little easier to understand.. This is how and why the Federal Reserve and the United Nations control us and why our President can be from a foreign country..
Report Post »http://www.republicforarizona.org/history.html
NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:58amOh good! Don’t cha just feel really safe and secure with the TSA, Eric Holder and Big Sis in charge! I know I sure do! Yesssireee Bob!
Report Post »flsnipe
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:58amIs anyone really surprised, every thing this government does is one big F-UP.
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:57amIs there a reason The Blaze is completely ignoring the fact that Bashar Al-Assad is being overthrown in Syria as I type this? I personally think it’s a fairly important bit of news.
Report Post »AmericanStrega
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:31amThank You! I agree. Look, I don’t know or care if he is a tinpot dictator or not. It is HIS country (he is the “president” is he not?). If the people of HIS country want him out, let them do it themselves with the resources they have. WE SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM! Would those who might disagree with me want say, Iran trying to stop Americans from trying to get rid of Obama or any other “president” who may be in office, to come to the American People’s aid? NO! If the people in Syria cannot change their government by themselves, then they need to regroup and try again. AMERICA DOES NOT BELONG IN ANOTHER COUNTRY’S CIVIL WAR! Don’t like my opinion? To bad. It’s my opinion and I have a right to state it. That is until good old Chuck Shumer get’s his way and destroys the 1st Amendment.
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:49amIt‘s not that I particularly care about Blazer’s opinions on the subject. I’m just honestly curious as to why the entire story is being (purposefully) ignored by The Blaze. Hell, it’s even the marquise story on PMSNBC dot com (not to mention CNN, Fox News and every other major “news” outlet).
Report Post »armyofnibiru
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 4:39pmyah like we stayed out of egypt and lybia.its anti-european colonyism and pro-islamic jihadist colonyism.
Report Post »hidden_lion
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 7:18pmAssad is being overthrown by rebels paid and trained by us. Most of the civilians killed over there were killed by Obama’s agitators. No news site will print the truth.
Report Post »fmadsen
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:57amI’m sure this is another Obama jobs program. We probably paid their tuition with tax dollars. What’s the problem with illegals owning a flight school, teaching illegals how to fly? What bad could come of it? Did the students want to learn how to land the aircraft? I doubt ICE will deport these illegals and the SBA will probably give the flight school a disadvantaged small business grant to expand the program.
Report Post »USPATRIOT101
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:54amTSA is a joke. I had some training from TSA and after an hour long presentation the only point made was. if you were the last one present before something bad happened, you were responsible. Totally idiotic.
Report Post »tommyg524
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 11:13am..yeah i’ve had traing under the TSA/IAC program, and all they do, like anyo other govt agency, is shift the burden to the people, then sit back like some dictator and point their fat fingers at the very people who are enforcing and keeping the country safe as possibly can be…the private industries.
Report Post »netmail
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:53amOnly in Obama‘s ’transformed America’ is this even possible.
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