An internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigation has revealed that during the Biden administration, some American citizens who refused to comply with COVID-19 mask mandates were placed on federal no-fly lists.
The investigation documented that 19 Americans were flagged between September 30, 2021, and October 25, 2021.
More than half of those individuals received no-fly designations, barring them from boarding domestic flights during that period.
The no-fly list is traditionally reserved for individuals suspected of terrorism or posing threats to national security.
Its use against citizens resisting mask mandates raised questions inside and outside the agency.
The probe found that at least 11 of the individuals remained on federal watchlists until April 2022.
That same month, a federal court struck down the federal mask mandate, effectively requiring the Biden administration to stop enforcing mask requirements on airplanes.
The revelations were first reported by Fox News, which obtained details of the DHS investigation.
The disclosures triggered swift responses from agency officials and members of Congress.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued a statement sharply criticizing the actions taken by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
“Biden’s TSA wildly abused their authority,” Noem said.
In her statement, she added, “Biden’s TSA Administrator [David] Pekoske and his cronies abused their authority and weaponized the federal government against the very people they were charged with protecting.”
Noem linked the findings to promises made by President Donald Trump, stating, “[he] promised to end the weaponization of government against the American people, and we are making good on that promise.”
As part of her response, Noem terminated five senior officials who were connected with the no-fly designations.
She also referred the information to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and to members of Congress for further investigation, Fox reported.
On Monday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released a flash report confirming additional details about the situation.
The Post Millennial highlighted that the report stated that at least 23 Americans were placed on TSA watchlists solely for their association with a protest group known as the Freedom to Breathe Agency.
The group, formed during the pandemic, advocated against mask mandates and promoted what it called personal freedom in travel and public life.
The committee report went further, noting that in April 2022, twelve individuals were placed on the TSA watchlist after removing their masks while on board aircraft.
These designations were applied despite the absence of allegations that the individuals posed security threats.
The report stated, “This is yet another example of how programs purportedly intended to protect ordinary Americans from grave threats such as terrorism are twisted to violate the privacy and civil liberties of those same Americans.”
Sen. Paul’s committee pointed to the implications of the government’s actions, emphasizing that watchlists designed for terrorism prevention were instead used against citizens engaged in protest activity.
The Freedom to Breathe Agency, referenced in the report, had organized demonstrations and campaigns opposing federal COVID-19 restrictions.
Individuals associated with the group became subject to additional TSA scrutiny, including placement on lists that prevented them from flying domestically, according to records obtained by the committee.
