随之而来的分歧新冠肺炎(新型冠状病毒肺炎)随着越来越多的家庭试图越过南部边境留在美国,移民的安全在拜登政府和德克萨斯州之间持续存在。
根据国土安全部发言人的说法,德克萨斯州共和党州长格雷格·艾伯特(Greg Abbott)推迟了联邦紧急事务管理局(Federal ExternaL M anagement Agency)对移民家庭进行测试和可能隔离的资金。这一决定违背了DHS与当地市长和卫生官员达成的协议,该协议规定100%的新冠肺炎检测将被覆盖。
州长的新闻秘书Renae Eze表示,资金是有“附加条件”的,需要州政府做出新的努力来保证边境安全。
Eze在一份声明中说:“只有联邦政府有责任检测、筛查和隔离可能携带COVID的非法移民。”“拜登政府继续向德克萨斯州施压,要求其协助非法移民移居节目...我们专注于做好我们的工作——保护德克萨斯人。"
格雷戈里·布尔/美联社
下加利福尼亚州卫生工作者在一个为寻求帮助的移民搭建的临时营地询问一名妇女
南部边境移民家庭创纪录的增长继续挑战拜登政府,因为官员们声称他们正在实施比他们的前任更人道的政策。
上个月,近2万名家庭成员在边境被拦截,根据美国海关和边境保护局。虽然许多人被立即遣返,但其中大多数人已经在美国接受了移民处理
南德克萨斯州的里奥格兰德河谷地区的涌入尤为严重。根据CBP的说法,当地的移民官员已经开始将移民空运到该州的其他地方,包括拉雷多、德尔里奥和埃尔帕索。
德州众议员维罗妮卡·埃斯科瓦尔(Veronica Escobar)主要担心的是,新移民加上缺乏资金来测试(如果需要的话)因新冠肺炎而孤立的移民。
埃斯科瓦尔说:“他不仅拒绝了这笔资金,还转过身去,在福克斯新闻和其他有线电视网上说,移民正在把COVID这样的疾病带到我们的国家——助长种族主义、仇外心理,使用我们非常熟悉的语言是危险的,而且非常重要。”
贾斯汀·雷克斯/美联社
德克萨斯州州长格雷格·艾伯特于2021年3月2日在德克萨斯州的卢伯克发表了一项声明。抗体
艾伯特将边境局势直接归咎于拜登政府。
“拜登政府通过开放边境政策,给危险的卡特尔和其他犯罪活动开了绿灯,在我们的南部边境制造了一场危机,”州长在本周早些时候的新闻发布会上说。“边境安全是联邦政府的责任,但德克萨斯州不会允许政府的失误危及无辜德州人的生命。”
目前没有证据表明边境的移民是新型冠状病毒的重要载体分析美联社。
雅培没有回应美国广播公司新闻部关于资金延迟的置评请求。CNN第一报告新闻。
一名拒绝透露姓名的高级官员周五表示,拜登政府正试图绕过州长,直接与市政当局合作。
这位官员说:“由于德克萨斯州目前无法——或不愿意——与我们合作,这变得更加困难。”
Battle emerges between Biden administration and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over migrant arrivals, COVID-19 testing
A consequential rift overCOVID-19safety for migrants has persisted between the Biden administration and the state of Texas as a growing number of families attempt to cross the southern border and remain in the U.S.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has delayed funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to test and possibly quarantine migrant families, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. The decision flies in the face of agreements made between DHS and local mayors and health officials, which stipulated that 100% of COVID-19 testing would be covered.
Renae Eze, the governor's press secretary, suggested there were "strings attached" to the funding that required new efforts from the state to conduct border security.
"The federal government alone has the responsibility to test, screen, and quarantine illegal immigrants crossing our border who may have COVID," Eze said in a statement. "The Biden Administration continues to pressure Texas to assist them in aiding their illegalimmigrationprogram ... We are focused on doing our job -- protecting Texans."
A record-setting increase of migrant families at the southern border continues to challenge the Biden administration as officials claim they're implementing more humane policies than their predecessors.
Nearly 20,000 family members were stopped at the border last month,according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. While many were immediately removed, the majority of them have undergone immigration processing in the U.S.
The influx is particularly severe in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas. Immigration officials there have resorted to flying migrants to other parts of the state, including Laredo, Del Rio and El Paso, according to CBP.
The new arrivals combined with the lack of funding to test and, if needed, isolate migrants due to COVID-19 is a chief concern for Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas.
"Not only did he reject that funding, but then he turned around and went on Fox News and other cable networks and said immigrants are bringing disease like COVID into our country -- fueling racism, xenophobia, using the kind of language that we know only too well is dangerous, and very consequential," Escobar said.
Abbott has placed blame for the situation at the border squarely on the Biden administration.
"The Biden administration has created a crisis at our southern border through open border policies that give the green light to dangerous cartels and other criminal activity," the governor said at a news conference earlier this week. "Border security is the federal government's responsibility, but the state of Texas will not allow the administration's failures to endanger the lives of innocent Texans."
No evidence currently exists that migrants at the border are significant vectors for the novel coronavirus, according toan analysisby The Associated Press.
Abbott did not respond to a request for comment by ABC News on the funding delays. CNN firstreportedthe news.
A senior official who declined to be named in order to discuss procedures and planning said Friday the Biden administration is attempting to go around the governor and work directly with municipalities.
"It's been more difficult because of the state of Texas' inability -- or unwillingness -- so far to cooperate with us," the official said.