Aviation

Frontier says it will not ‘knowingly allow’ feds to use its planes to transport migrant children

Frontier Airlines said Wednesday that it will not “knowingly” let the government use its planes to transfer immigrant children who were removed from their families sat the southern border.

“Frontier prides itself on being a family airline and we will not knowingly allow our flights to be used to transport migrant children away from their families,” the airline wrote in a tweet.

“At this time, we are not aware if Frontier has been used for this purpose.”

The tweet came shortly after American Airlines said it had asked the government not to use its planes for any transportation of migrant children facing separations.

United Airlines also said it asked federal officials not to use the carrier.

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The statement from Frontier adds to growing backlash against the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy at the United States’s southern border.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions unveiled the policy in April, which directed the Justice Department to prioritize the criminal prosecution of individuals attempting to cross the U.S.–Mexico border illegally. 

That order lead to the removal of approximately 2,000 children from their families.

Caving to mounting pressure, President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday afternoon that he said would end migrant family separations.

–Updated 3:25 p.m.