White House Press Secretary suggested during Monday’s press briefing that migrants that illegally enter the United States do not need to present proof of vaccination at the border the same way that foreign nationals reportedly do when they fly into the U.S. because the illegal aliens are “not intending to stay here for a lengthy period of time.”
Psaki made the remarks during the following exchange with Fox News reporter Peter Doocy:
DOOCY: I have a question about what’s going on at the border is somebody asking the foreign nationals who are walking in and Del Rio, Texas and setting up camps on this side of the border for proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test?
PSAKI: Well, first of all I can I can re-address for you, or re-talk you through what steps we take–
DOOCY: That’s the policy for people who fly into the country. So if somebody walks into the country, right across the river, does somebody asked them to see their vaccination card?
PSAKI: Well, let me explain to you again, Peter, how our process works. As individuals, as individuals come across the border, and they are both assessed for whether they have any symptoms, if they have symptoms they are, the intention is for them to be quarantined, that is our process. They’re not intending to stay here for a lengthy period of time. I don’t think it’s the same thing. It’s not the same thing. These are individuals, as we’ve noted, and as we’ve been discussed, we’re expelling individuals based on Title 42, specifically because of COVID, because we want to prevent a scenario where large numbers of people are gathering, posing a threat to the community and also to the migrants themselves. So, those are the policies that we put in place, in large part because, again, the CDC continues to recommend Title 42 to be in place given we’re facing a global pandemic.
WATCH:
Biden W.H.: Unlike Europeans, illegal immigrants don’t need to prove vaccination status because they “are not intending to stay here” pic.twitter.com/sgJYVYo54d
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 20, 2021
Doocy later asked Psaki, “Where’s the vice president on any of this, isn’t she supposed to be addressing the root causes of migration?”
“Absolutely, and she has been addressing the root causes of migration by working with countries in the region to ensure they have the assistance they need to reduce the number of people who are coming and trying to make those journeys across the border,” Psaki responded. “We’ve actually seen some reductions in some of those numbers. That doesn’t change the fact that this is a very challenging situation in Del Rio, we’re working to implement our policies and we’re working to ensure we are also addressing root causes.”
WATCH:
Doocy: “Where’s the Vice President on any of this? Wasn’t she supposed to be addressing the root causes of migration?”
Psaki: “Absolutely and she has been addressing the root causes…We've actually seen a reduction in some of those numbers.” pic.twitter.com/tWvQfhiMmy
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 20, 2021