A look at Rep. Russell Fry’s letter to Mayorkas over claims of ‘illegal migrants’ being ‘deposited’ in Myrtle Beach area

Savannah Denton
·3 min read
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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A South Carolina congressman is alleging reports of “illegal migrants” on the Grand Strand.

Seventh Congressional District Rep. Russell Fry sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting information regarding reports of migrants being “deposited” in the Myrtle Beach area.

News13 checked with Myrtles Beach, Horry County and Myrtle Beach tourism officials about the legitimacy of the claims.

Myrtle Beach city spokesman Mark Kruea said to the city’s knowledge illegal migrants from the border showing up in the Myrtle Beach area has no basis in fact.

“Nor are we aware that anything of this kind is occurring,” he added. “This is manufactured hysteria over nothing.”

News13 learned that Mayor Brenda Bethune had breakfast with Fry Thursday morning. She too said these stories of illegal border migrants ending up on the Grand Strand are “not based on facts.”

In the letter, Fry cites a media report based on images that have been circulating various social media groups that raised the question of whether illegal migrants are now appearing in the Grand Strand.

“I realize that the people pictured leaving the bus aren’t youngsters, but consider how many hundreds of busloads of visitors we receive in the Myrtle Beach area during the course of a year,” ” Kruea said. Many of them are here for sports tourism events.”

News13 reached out to Sunway Charters for more information about a picture that was circulating in various Grand Strand social media groups on Thursday but did not hear back.

Horry County and the Myrtle Beach Convention and Visitor Bureau officials also told News13 that there have been no reports of illegal border migrants in the Grand Strand.

“Oftentimes, federal agencies are not going to coordinate with state and local officials before they bring people like this into our communities,” Fry said. “So, it would not surprise me that Myrtle Beach, or the state of South Carolina, is also unaware if it’s happening in this state.”

Myrtle Beach officials would not respond to that comment from Fry on Thursday. Fry also cites a FOIA lawsuit with the Centers for Immigration Studies.

“The Department of Homeland Security has flown 320,000 migrants from Central and South American countries to the United States to 43 airports,” Fry said. “We know that without a fact or beyond a shadow of a doubt. What we don’t know is what airports are used, what the immigration status is, whether they’re also being transported by bus.”

News13 has asked officials with the Myrtle Beach International Airport about these claims and did not hear back immediately.

The questions in the letter Fry hopes Mayorkas will answer are:

  • Are migrants being brought to the Myrtle Beach, SC area?

  • If so, what is their immigration status?

  • What is the nationality of these migrants?

  • What forms of transportation are these migrants using to travel to the area?

  • How many migrants have been deposited?

  • How long do you expect these migrants to stay?

  • Will there be additional migrants coming to the area in the future?

  • How much money is allocated from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to facilitate the depositing of migrants throughout the United States?

  • What amount of taxpayer funding is required for housing and vouchers for these migrants?

  • What is your long-term plan to address these migrants?

“I think people deserve those answers, and at the end of the day, whatever the facts are, I think people just want the truth. They want to understand what is going on with their federal government,” he said.

Fry has asked Mayorkas to respond to the questions by no later than 5 p.m. on April 5. To read his full letter, click here.

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Savannah Denton joined News 13 in July 2023 as a reporter and producer. Savannah is from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Follow Savannah on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here. 

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