DHS’s Tone-Deaf Covid Travel Announcement
There are no ‘consistent, stringent’ Covid protocols for ILLEGAL migrants traveling to the United States
By Andrew R. Arthur on October 20, 2021
On October 12, DHS issued a press release laying out a timeline for “non-essential” travelers who have received vaccinations for Covid-19 to be admitted to the United States at land and ferry ports of entry from Canada and Mexico. Comparing the statements therein to the absence of Covid requirements for aliens who have entered illegally reveals how tone-deaf that announcement is.
Formally captioned “Secretary Mayorkas to Allow Fully Vaccinated Travelers from Canada and Mexico to Enter U.S. at Land Borders and Ferry Crossings”, the press release explains that DHS will begin allowing travelers from Canada and Mexico to cross by land and ferry into the United States for non-essential purposes (such as tourism) beginning in November.
Thereafter, beginning in January 2022, all foreign nationals coming to the United States at land and ferry ports will be required to provide proof of vaccination, regardless of whether their entry is for essential or non-essential purposes.
By way of brief background, on March 18, 2020, Canada and the United States closed their border to non-essential travel to stem the spread of Covid. The next day, the White House similarly announced that it had reached a "mutual agreement" with Mexico to restrict non-essential travel across the Southwest border in response to the pandemic.
https://cis.org/Arthur/DHSs-ToneDeaf-Covid-Travel-Announcement
