Washington, D.C.— Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) urges US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to prioritize the health and safety of border agents and border communities amid a surge in COVID -19 in the Rio Grande Valley. The increase in COVID-19 has resulted in the temporary closure of Catholic Charities, about 70 border agents testing positive for COVID-19 in the RGV sector, 17 border agents testing positive for COVID-19 in the Laredo sector, and 233 beds of busy hospital in the local area. Additionally, 27% of unaccompanied children deported this week tested positive for COVID-19 and Brownsville experienced a 15% positivity rate. The Border Patrol is also sending immigrants directly to the McAllen COVID-19 testing site.
High positivity rates and NGO closures come as the Rio Grande Valley has seen a flood of migrants, a 478% increase in encounters in June 2021 compared to June 2020. Last week alone it saw almost 20,000 encounters in the Rio Grande Valley, adding to the more than 1,000,000 total encounters so far this year and 330,000 in the Rio Grande Valley sector.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many challenges across the country. Border communities face particular challenges due to the influx of migrants arriving every day. The Secretary of DHS must prioritize the health and safety of border agents and border communities to assist them in this public health emergency. ” Congressman Cuéllar said. “These agents are the embodiment of what the US Border Patrol stands for, a federal law enforcement agency tasked with protecting our borders while following deep codes of professionalism and care when interacting with civilians and our community. Throughout the pandemic, we have supported and thanked our essential workers for their sacrifices. Yet our border patrol agents have been unappreciatively serving our southern border and processing immigrants, despite the dangers of the virus. While we are extremely fortunate for the vaccine that has saved many lives, we must prioritize the health and well-being of our men and women in the blue and border communities. ”
###
Congressman Henry Cuellar is a senior member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. Previously, he served as a Texas State Representative and Texas Secretary of State. Sign up to receive Congressman Cuellar’s E-mail Newsletters
Click here for Congressman Cuellar’s Facebook, Twitter , or YouTube Channel
Please note Congressman Cuellar is fluent in English and Spanish.
–
