(Photo : Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 30: White House Press Secretary Jen Pskai swats at an insect flying near her head during the daily news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on August 30, 2021 in Washington, DC. Psaki fielded questions about Hurricane Ida, the ongoing pull out of U.S. military forces and their allies from Afghanistan and other topics.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was questioned regarding the Biden administration's decision to allow illegal immigrants to cross the southern border despite not having received the coronavirus vaccine or shown proof of a negative coronavirus test.
During a Monday interview, Psaki said that refugees were "not intending to stay here for a lengthy period of time." Thousands of migrants have poured into the country from Haiti and other nations in search of safe asylum in recent days. Last week, many of the refugees experienced a processing bottleneck in Del Rio, Texas, which left more than 12,000 migrants needing to camp under a bridge.
Jen Psaki Questioned About Travel Restrictions
The situation fueled concerns about the potential risks that the large crowd, which is gathered in a small area, due to the spread of the coronavirus infection. Reporters questioned Psaki during a daily press briefing on Monday, asking why there were so many processes in place related to COVID-19 when flying into the country that was seemingly non-existent for illegal immigrants.
The official argued that when individuals came across the border, they were assessed whether they have symptoms of the coronavirus and would be quarantined if determined to be at risk. Psaki said the federal government had a process in place to observe the migrants who were not intending to have a long stay in the country, the New York Post reported.
Psaki noted that the Biden administration was expelling individuals based on Title 42 due to the coronavirus pandemic. She said that the government was trying to avoid a situation where many people were gathering that could pose a threat to the community.
The situation at the border was made worse after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shut down the port entry in Del Rio. The decision diverted legal trade and travel 57 miles to Eagle Pass. Border checkpoints that were used to screen illegal immigrants and illicit cargo were also shut down. The closures followed the surge of primarily Haitian refugees trying to enter the country.
The situation at the Southern Border
Del Rio officials said the situation was "out of control" as they struggled to control the flood of migrants. On Wednesday, the number of refugees was recorded at about 4,000 to nearly 15,000 as of Saturday afternoon. Media photographs showed a stream of migrants slowly flowing through the border, which were numbered in the hundreds, every single day, Fox News reported.
The American government requires foreign travelers to provide proof of vaccine against the coronavirus and a negative test result for the infection within three days prior to departure to the U.S.
When Rep. August Pfluger visited the area where the migrants were huddled together, he described it as "worse than you could imagine." Border Patrol agents were also worried that the situation could inevitably become worse, Yahoo News reported.
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Saturday that they were deploying more agents and staff to the border. Officials also said that deportation flights were to be increased in the following days. They emphasized that the borders were closed and they would be expelling migrants under Title 42.
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