A record-breaking number of Americans are expected to travel this Thanksgiving holiday, but concerns are emerging about the safety of air travel due to the deployment of air marshals to the southern border. The Air Marshal National Council director, Sonya LaBosco, expressed her worries about the depletion of resources for flying air marshals in a recent interview with FOX News.

According to LaBosco, the deployment of air marshals to the U.S. southern border instead of the transportation sector poses a potential risk to the safety of the traveling public. She criticized the prioritization of ushering in illegal immigrants over the protection of airline passengers. Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz also raised the issue, questioning the ongoing air marshal deployments in a letter to TSA Administrator David Pekoske.

LaBosco pointed out that the air marshals deployed in the southern border are not performing their typical law enforcement duties but rather participating in tasks such as distributing water. This diversion of their resources means that regular air travel security might be compromised, potentially putting travelers at risk.

In the letter to Pekoske, Cruz expressed concern that taking air marshals off flights to deploy them elsewhere could undermine the safety of travelers. LaBosco emphasized that this issue adds to the overall destabilization of both the border and aviation security.

Furthermore, she revealed that the current missions of air marshals are primarily focused on "quiet skies" operations, which involve tracking individuals who flew to the U.S. Capitol region around the time of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, regardless of their presence at the Capitol itself. As a result, the number of air marshals available for regular security missions, where they actively search for potential threats, has been severely reduced.

As Thanksgiving approaches, LaBosco urged travelers to be vigilant and take responsibility for their own safety. She advised passengers to be aware of their surroundings, identify individuals who could potentially assist in case of an emergency, and be familiar with the location of exit doors and flight attendants.

The concerns raised by Sonya LaBosco and Sen. Ted Cruz have highlighted the potential risks associated with the deployment of air marshals to the southern border, leaving some Thanksgiving travelers feeling uneasy about the level of security they can expect during their flights. As the number of air marshals available for regular missions diminishes, the need for proactive measures and increased traveler awareness becomes paramount.

With a record-breaking number of Americans traveling this Thanksgiving, it remains to be seen how the deployment of air marshals to the southern border will impact airline security and the peace of mind of passengers.