Owner Also Accused Of Being In The Country Illegally

A flight school in Stow, Massachusetts, has reportedly been training illegal immigrants to fly, and its owner is also facing charges of being in the U.S. illegally.

The school is TJ Aviation Flight Academy at Minute Man Air Field. The Associated Press and The Blaze report that the people arrested are Brazilian. In all, more than 30 people have been charged in the incident. A TSA spokeswoman said in an interview with The Boston Globe that the incident is being investigated. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, "strict" security measures were put in place when it was discovered that some of the terrorists who flew the planes that day had trained at U.S. flight schools.

The owner, who has not been named in media reports and is not listed on the TJ Aviation website, reportedly claimed that he is not in the country illegally. Television station WHDH in Boston reports that an attorney for some of the students claims they were "duped" by the school.

TSA said the incident will prompt a review of its process by which foreign nationals are cleared for flight training. Those arrested in the 5-month-long investigation face possible deportation.

FMI: www.ice.gov,  www.tsa.gov