The Department of Homeland Security has stated that a key reason for maintaining the current May 7 REAL ID deadline—despite multiple previous delays—is to help curb illegal immigration. In a memo obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, the department explained that enforcing REAL ID requirements aims to prevent individuals in the country illegally from boarding domestic flights, except in cases where they are seeking to self-deport on an international flight.
“Under Biden, illegal aliens used non-compliant IDs from sanctuary cities to board flights, but REAL ID’s higher security standards make it nearly impossible to forge legitimate documents, ensuring only verified travelers can fly,” the memo states, as first reported by Fox News. “This closes the gaping vulnerabilities Biden’s policies created, preventing criminals and potential terrorists from exploiting our aviation system, as seen during 9/11 when fraudulent IDs enabled attacks.”
The agency stated that the measure prevents individuals illegally in the country from traveling within the U.S. “DHS and TSA are clear, the only place an illegal alien should be flying is home. Under Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership, illegal aliens will be barred from domestic flights, with one exception: illegal aliens self-deporting on international flights will be allowed to board without a REAL ID, encouraging their exit from the U.S.,” says the memo.
According to the memo, DHS reported that during the Biden administration, 1.4 million “inadmissible aliens” entered the U.S. through programs such as CBP One and the parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. As of August 2024, over half a million of those individuals arrived via American airports. The department stated that, in 2023, 320,000 illegal immigrants were allowed to fly into 43 airports across the U.S. and then travel to other destinations within the country, directly due to the CBP One program.
DHS referenced a 2022 report by Fox News Digital, which revealed that under the Biden administration and former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the Transportation Security Administration permitted civil arrest warrants to be used as valid forms of identification. “For non-citizens and non-U.S. nationals who do not otherwise have acceptable forms of ID for presentation at security checkpoints, TSA may also accept certain DHS-issued forms, including ICE Form I-200 (Warrant for Arrest of an Alien),” a TSA spokesperson told Fox News at the time.
Americans planning to fly domestically or access certain federal buildings will be required to present a valid form of identification, with a passport accepted as an alternative. The REAL ID Act, which established these requirements, was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2005. “These IDs keep our country safe because they help prevent fraud and they enhance security,” Noem said in a recent video. “Please do your part to protect our country, go today, and don’t delay.”
