UPDATE II: Drone is back in the sky.
BREAKING: FAA has cleared @FoxNews to fly our drones to fly in the restricted airspace around the international bridge in Del Rio. https://t.co/zegGdXrr3M
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 17, 2021
UPDATE: Texas DPS has stepped in to allow reporting on the crisis by taking reporters up in a helicopter.
.@BillFOXLA Melugin: "This is a wild situation. We reported earlier that the FAA grounded our Fox News drones...Well, the troopers with Texas DPS are kind enough to let us go up in their helicopter...Look at the mass of people...It looks like there's a water park down there."
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 17, 2021
***Original post***
After Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin and his crew showed Biden's border crisis reaching catastrophic levels this week, with 10,000 illegal immigrants waiting under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, the Federal Aviation Administration shut down their ability to continue capturing footage of the disaster with a drone.
"The timing on this, the location a little bit curious. I just want to point out Fox News has been at the border for the better part of seven months now. We've been using the drone the entire time. It's never been an issue. All of the sudden the last 24 hours we start showing these images at this bridge and a TFR [Temporary Flight Restriction] goes up. We can no longer fly," Melugin told anchor Tucker Carlson Thursday night. "Unfortunately for those agents on the ground, they're completely overwhelmed."
We won't let the FAA control the news you get. Watch this video and see how @faanews tried to shut down our newsgathering on the southern border. That can't happen. Our own @BillFOXLA will be back with us on @FoxNews tomorrow at 8pm ET. pic.twitter.com/4WIJCC0O4y
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) September 17, 2021
.@FoxNews has been covering the border nonstop for almost 7 months now, we use the drone constantly, and it has never been an issue. We have reached out to the FAA to ask for clarification on why this TFR was implemented. We haven’t heard back yet. Will update if/when we do.
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 17, 2021
Here's the footage of the situation prior to the flight restriction. Thousands of illegal immigrants are now coming to the point of entry from Haiti.
BREAKING: Our drone is back over the international bridge in Del Rio, TX. Per source, the number of migrants waiting to be processed has now swelled to approx 8,200. It was 4,000 yesterday AM. Doubled in one day. BP overwhelmed, & I’m told situation is “out of control” @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/ThJJJ0JWCT
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 16, 2021
The FAA claims the move is necessary for a "special security reasons" and that Border Patrol made the call for the TFR, but we all know what's really happening here.
UPDATE: FAA statement
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 17, 2021
“The Border Patrol requested the temporary flight restriction due to drones interfering with law enforcement flights on the border. As with any temporary flight restriction, media is able to call the FAA to make requests to operate in the area.”@FoxNews
Meanwhile the crisis is getting so bad, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has moved to shut down six points of entry along the border.
"Six hours after U.S. Customs and Border Protection requested help from Texas to close ports of entry and secure the border, the Biden Administration has now flip-flopped to a different strategy that abandons border security and instead makes it easier for people to cross illegally and for cartels to exploit the border. The Biden Administration is in complete disarray and is handling the border crisis as badly as the evacuation from Afghanistan," Abbott released in a statement. "I have directed the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to surge personnel and vehicles to shut down six points of entry along the southern border to stop these caravans from overrunning our state.”
“The border crisis is so dire that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is requesting our help as their agents are overwhelmed by the chaos. Unlike President Biden, the State of Texas remains committed to securing our border and protecting Americans,” he continued.
Six hours after @CBP requested help from Texas to close ports of entry & secure the border, Biden flip-flopped to a different strategy that abandons border security.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 16, 2021
The @TxDPS & @TexasGuard will maintain their presence at & around ports of entry to deter illegal crossings. pic.twitter.com/H20eA9Oj69
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