COVID Migrants Get a Pass and Head Into U.S

The U.S.-Mexico border stays formally closed to non-essential site visitors. However that’s not stopping asylum seekers from pushing on and, in some circumstances, bringing COVID-19 with them.

Within the face of federal and state efforts to comprise COVID, migrants crossing into Texas are testing optimistic for the virus, and persevering with their travels into the U.S. Whereas the Biden administration says it’s dealing with the surging numbers, a Democrat congressman sees deteriorating situations in his border district.

“[The administration is] solely listening to the immigration activists, and so they’re not listening to the oldsters on the border,” Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, complained Wednesday. The identical day, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) tweeted, “The Biden administration is recklessly releasing lots of of unlawful immigrants who’ve COVID into Texas communities.”

A senior Homeland Safety official countered that the Republican governor stalled administration efforts to supply federal funds for coronavirus screening of migrants. Although the state has despatched take a look at kits to the border, Brownsville officers say they can not cease COVID-positive migrants from getting on buses sure for the U.S. inside. FAIR reported final month that below catch and launch protocols, immigration brokers had begun dropping migrants off on the bus station in McAllen, one other metropolis within the Rio Grande Valley.

White Home sources advised Fox Information on Wednesday they have been conscious that migrants have been persevering with to journey regardless of having COVID. One group in Brownsville stated they have been advised of their optimistic take a look at outcomes by bus station employees, however not supplied with any confirming paperwork.

The unfastened and ad-hoc course of on the border stands in distinction to longstanding COVID laws within the U.S., the place enterprise and different actions stay restricted in most states. After a yr of masking up, California residents at the moment are being requested to put on double masks. Possibly unlawful aliens who’ve been waved throughout the border will get a cross on that too.