FAA Places No-Fly Zone Over Texas Bridge

The Federal Aviation Administration has placed a two-week no-fly zone over a bridge in Texas where thousands of migrants have gathered for shelter, at the request of U.S. Border Patrol, Fox News reports.

"The Border Patrol requested the temporary flight restriction due to drones interfering with law enforcement flights on the border," the FAA said in a statement Thursday. "As with any temporary flight restriction, media is able to call the FAA to make requests to operate in the area."

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin tweeted Thursday:

"We've learned that the FAA just implemented a two week TFR [Temporary Flight Restrictions] over the international bridge in Del Rio, TX, meaning we can no longer fly our FOX drone over it to show images of the thousands of migrants. FAA says 'special security reason.'"

He added Fox News "has been covering the border nonstop for almost 7 months now, we use the drone constantly, and it has never been an issue."

Two Republican senators criticized the decision, claiming the FAA is trying to prevent the media from covering the events at the bridge.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., tweeted:

"What a coincidence. The FAA better be ready to explain to Congress why they're suddenly blocking the media from covering Biden's border crisis."

Cotton sent a letter Friday to the FAA demanding answers, writing in a statement to Newsmax:

"Last night, the FAA implemented a two-week Temporary Flight Restriction over the migrant camp. This decision has forced media organizations covering the ongoing border crisis to ground their aircraft. I'm disturbed by the possibility that the FAA closed the airspace over the border for political reasons, perhaps to blackout unfavorable media coverage of the humanitarian disaster. The American people deserve to have access to information about this crisis."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, added to Fox News on Thursday, "The drone footage started this morning, and people across the country were horrified, and I guess the political operatives at the Biden White House saw that and decided the last thing they want is Fox News actually reporting on what's happening down here."

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