Republican congressman Matt Gaetz demands investigation into Delta Airlines’ alleged transport of illegal migrants from the southern border to the interior of the United States

Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz has written to Delta Airlines demanding an investigation into claims that migrants are being flown into the US on board their flights from the southern border.

Florida's representative wrote an open letter to CEO Ed Bastion on Friday, seeking answers about how “non-resident aliens” can “book and travel” on Delta flights.

He stated that NGOs use federal money to purchase flights for migrants who may not have passed verification checks, posing a security risk.

“Even more alarming than the American taxpayers footing the bill for transporting non-resident aliens into our communities is that they may not have been properly vetted,” Gaetz wrote.

“I am concerned that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) may allow non-resident aliens to board flights, including those operated by Delta Airlines, with an alternative form of identification that meets a weaker standard than that used to verify the identity of US citizens. .'

Gaetz asked four questions of “paramount importance and concern” that he is seeking immediate answers to, including how many migrants have been transported and how the airline is paid for their tickets.

He also asked if there is any incentive for the airline to transport the migrants and what forms of ID will be accepted.

The missive comes days after right-wing commentator Ashley St. Clair accused Delta of flying migrants from Arizona to New York City.

St. Clair on Tuesday shared images that it claimed showed migrants recently released from an immigration detention center at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

It is unclear whether the passengers were recently arrived migrants who had crossed the US-Mexico border or if they came from detention centers. However, migrants are not considered to be in the country illegally once they have been processed and applied for asylum.

She also said one of the alleged migrants sat next to her in a luxury cabin, and expressed concern over whether the passengers had been medically screened.

Although St. Clair's claims have not been confirmed by the airline, southern states including Texas, Florida and Arizona have been shipping migrants to “sanctuary cities” at the urging of Republicans.

The GOP effort began in the spring when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey put migrants on buses to Washington and later New York.

The move was intended to draw attention to what governors saw as failed border and immigration policies under Democrats and the Biden administration.

Governor of Florida. Ron DeSantis stepped up the tactic and chartered a flight to Martha's Vineyard, an elite vacation destination in Massachusetts.

Gaetz previously supported a bill banning sanctuary cities in his native Florida and has called for penalties against these cities.

Sanctuary cities or states are not legal terms, but symbolize a commitment to protect and support immigrant communities and refuse to voluntarily provide information to immigration enforcement.

However, leaders in such cities have themselves faced challenges due to the sudden influx of people.

It was said that around 400 migrants were arriving in New York every day, compared to around 100,000 last year.

In Washington DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a limited state of emergency and requested assistance from the National Guard, but was ultimately denied.

While in Illinois, the State Guard was called in by Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker to help deal with the flow of people coming into Chicago.

DailyMail.com has contacted Delta for comment.