The White House is studying a plan to require vaccination against COVID-19 from immigrants who cross the Mexican border to seek asylum in the United States, according to the Axios news portal.
This mandate from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would apply to migrants 5 years of age or older and would force contractors to supply vaccines to migrants who attempt to cross the border either through legal ports or illegally.
The federal government already requires vaccination from travelers, Americans or foreigners, who enter the country by plane, in addition to a coronavirus test carried out a maximum of one day before.
A group of migrant families near the Rio Grande in McAllen, Texas. Eric Gay / AP
Immigration authorities supply vaccines to immigrants who are in detention centers or in shelters, although it is voluntary and many refuse to get it.
“Since the beginning of the Administration, we have put in place public health protocols that prioritize the health of border communities, agents and migrants,” a White House spokesperson told Axios.
In addition, he specified that a final decision on the vaccination mandate has not yet been made.
[Few migrants processed in the United States have been vaccinated in custody]
If the plan is approved, the priority will be families waiting for a court hearing to resolve their immigration status.
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As reported by an official from the Department of Homeland Security to Axios, the contractors in charge of the vaccination would be deployed within 48 hours from the moment in which the White House and the agencies that must finance the operation.
The proposal also indicates that immigrants must receive a second dose of the vaccine as a condition of being released pending court appearances.
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Biden has been strongly criticized for maintaining Title 42 in his immigration policy, one of former President Donald Trump's measures that allows migrants who do not have an asylum priority to be returned with the argument of containing the pandemic.
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