U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX) reported the apprehension of approximately 10,000 migrants in the last seven days in the Rio Grande Valley Sector. He said agents apprehended 2,500 in the past two days alone.
“We are weeks, maybe even days, away from a crisis on the southern border. Inaction is simply not an option,” Congressman Cuellar said in a written statement. “Our country is currently unprepared to handle a surge in migrants in the middle of the pandemic.”
The Laredo congressman said the illegal border crossings are “potentially exposing border communities to the coronavirus and putting us at risk. Right now, none of the migrants are being tested for COVID-19 by Border Patrol.”
In Brownsville, Texas, city officials said that six percent of the migrants being released at the bus station to obtain transportation into the U.S. interior are testing positive for COVID-19, Breitbart Texas reported. The Brownsville official said they do not have the authority to prevent those who test positive from boarding buses to travel into the U.S. interior. A worker at the bus station told Fox News they cannot ask passengers for proof of coronavirus test results before transit.
Cuellar added, “I urge the Biden Administration to listen and work with the communities on the southern border who are dealing with the surge of migrants.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbot said President Joe Biden is “recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities,” Breitbart News reported.
“The Biden Administration was spreading COVID in South Texas yesterday because of their lack of constraint of testing and quarantining, people who had come across the border illegally,” the governor said on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” morning news show. The Biden Administration was exposing Texans to COVID — that is a Neanderthal-type approach to dealing with the COVID situation.”
The Texas governor went on to say President Biden is engaging in a “Neanderthal-type approach” by releasing the COVID-positive migrants into the state of Texas. Abbott’s comment followed Biden’s accusation that Texas was engaged in “Neanderthal thinking” after the governor announced the lifting of the COVID mask mandate and opened Texas businesses 100 percent.
Official migrant apprehension numbers for February are expected to be released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the next few days.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s Sunday-morning talk show, What’s Your Point? Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, Parler @BobPrice, and Facebook.