Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-22) released a memo updating the community on her recent meeting with the U.S. Secret Service and her ongoing efforts with both the Secret Service and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address the 24/7 flight restrictions surrounding Mar-a-Lago. The memo explains how the restrictions were implemented and details their significant impact on nearby neighborhoods, including increased noise and air pollution, and concerns about safety, property values, and quality of life.

“Keeping the President and our country safe is essential, and our community wants security measures that are fair, reasonable, and minimize harm to the tens of thousands of people affected,” said Rep. Frankel. 

While some portions of the briefing remain classified, Rep. Frankel outlines next steps in the memo, including continued engagement with the Secret Service, the FAA, airport leadership, and affected communities. The full memo to the community is included below.

For questions or to share concerns related to the flight restrictions, residents are encouraged to contact Rep. Frankel’s office through her website.

MEMO TO THE COMMUNITY

From: Congresswoman Frankel
Re: Update on Mar-a-Lago Airspace Restrictions
Date: January 06, 2026

Recently, I met in a classified setting with five members of the U.S. Secret Service to discuss the ongoing 24/7 flight restrictions over Mar-a-Lago and the significant impact on surrounding neighborhoods. While some portions of the briefing remain classified, most of our discussion was not, and I want to share what I can with you directly.

My goal is to facilitate a solution that keeps the President and our country safe, using flight restrictions that impact the least number of people in the safest, fairest way possible. 

Background: On October 20, at the request of the Secret Service, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a one-nautical mile no-fly zone around Mar-a-Lago, regardless of whether or not President Trump is in Florida. Under these new restrictions, aircraft taking off and landing at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) must fly over neighborhoods northeast of the airport instead of a previous more direct route out of PBI that had been established after an extensive environmental review. When the President is at Mar-a-Lago, the FAA implements regular procedures for when the President travels, which requires varying levels of restrictions up to 30 nautical miles around PBI. 

Impact of New Restrictions: The previous flight paths impacted about 2,200 homes and 5,000 people. The new route, northeast of the airport, impacts over 11,000 homes and 21,000 residents and at least five schools and many businesses. Planes are taking off and landing as frequently as every 90 seconds.  

In the two months since these restrictions were put in place, the Palm Beach County Department of Airports has received hundreds of complaints. Community concerns include increased noise and air pollution, lower property values, and potential flight delays.

Key Takeaways From the Meeting with the Secret Service:

1. The Secret Service has requested 24/7 flight restrictions for two of President Trump’s properties: Mar-a-Lago (Palm Beach, FL) and Trump Tower (New York, NY). These residences are the President’s formal “non-governmental residences” which require them to be fully secured by the Secret Service at all times. No such request for 24/7 flight restrictions has been made for Bedminster, NJ, or any other residence, which are not the President’s designated non-governmental residences. In the past, the Palm Beach County restrictions were temporary and tied to the President’s presence at Mar-a-Lago.

2. The FAA Makes the Final Determination: The Secret Service makes security requests to the FAA, which has the authority to determine the exact airspace restrictions to meet the requests.

In this situation, the FAA imposed a 1-nautical-mile, 24/7 no-fly zone around Mar-a-Lago. I have formally requested a meeting with the FAA to address these decisions and advocate for solutions that reduce the community impact.

3. I Raised the Community Impact — Loud and Clear: I expressed to the Secret Service that the community understands that security is essential for the President, but the community does not understand why the new restrictions must be in place when the President is not in Palm Beach County.

I told the Secret Service that community complaints include increased noise and air pollution affecting quality of life, lowering of property values, potential flight safety issues, and delays.

4. I Requested Further Community Engagement: While they did not commit to specific changes, the Secret Service expressed openness to further engagement with:

• Local elected officials
• County and airport leadership
• Community groups
  
• Concerned residents
• Other affected parties

This is an important step toward transparency and ensuring community concerns are part of the federal decision-making process.

Next Steps:

• I am pursuing a direct meeting with the FAA and PBI staff to discuss the possibility of alternate or scaled-back restrictions.
  
• I am requesting another classified briefing with the Secret Service to get more details of the reasons that have led to severe flight path restrictions. 
  
• I am pursuing a meeting among the Secret Service, FAA, and community and local officials. 
  
• I will keep the community updated as new information becomes available.
  

If you have questions or concerns you want raised with federal agencies, please contact my office through my website. I am committed to ensuring your safety, your quality of life, and your peace of mind remain central to these discussions.

Congresswoman Lois Frankel