Representative Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Montana, arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio will again run to be US House speaker now that his fellow Republican Steve Scalise has withdrawn from the contest. P (Al Drago/Getty Images)
Zinke took the effort a step further, penning a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas Thursday that urged him to "immediately detain and deport this group of illegal immigrants." The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, requested information regarding their knowledge of the migrants and how they traveled from the southern border to northern Montana.
A spokesperson for Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said he is working with state officials to monitor the situation, telling Fox News Digital that it "undermines our national security" when migrants are allowed to enter the U.S. illegally.
"Senator Tester is in touch with local officials in Flathead County and is closely monitoring this ongoing situation," the spokesperson said in a statement. "He believes that allowing anyone to enter the country without being properly vetted or going through a legal process undermines our national security, which is why he voted for bipartisan border security legislation that would give law enforcement the tools to crack down on individuals entering the country illegally and keep Montana and our country safe."
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., pointed to the Biden administration for the ongoing crisis at the southern border. (Tom Williams/Getty)
"A month ago, the Senate voted to continue secret, taxpayer-funded illegal migrant flights by one vote – Jon Tester’s. Now, illegals are reportedly being flown to Montana," Sheehy said in a statement. "This is insane. Stop the invasion, seal the border, and put America First!"
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The flights come days after Fox News reported on a subpoena by the House Homeland Security Committee about a separate parole program for migrants, under which approximately 200,000 migrants flew into the U.S. between January through August 2023. The subpoena revealed that migrants have flown into more than 45 cities as part of the program for Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants.
Fox News' Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Aubrie Spady is a Production Assistant for Fox News Digital.
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