What happens when illegal migrants crossing into the U.S. are found to be infected by the Covid virus? Under Title 42, they could simply be returned to Mexico. But that solution has two problems. The first is the Mexican government, which doesn’t have to accept returnees and often refuses. The second is the American government, which is loath to return anyone.
Instead, what sometimes happens is the infected illegals are put up in hotels near the border, for however long it takes to become uninfected, and seeming without regard to the health of the surrounding community.
That is what’s happening now in such South Texas towns as La Joya and Weslaco. There, Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, which provides much of the support for inbound illegals, is simply registering the infected in local hotels.
This story came to light when, on Tuesday of this week, a person flagged down police in La Joya, reporting that “there was a family coughing, sneezing and not wearing masks” at the local Whataburger restaurant. Interviewed by police, the family admitted they were all infected with COVID-19. They produced a form giving them “60 days to reach their destinations in the United States” and telling them to report to the nearest ICE office within that time.
The family had been detained and processed by the Border Patrol, then released to Catholic Charities, which placed them in the Texas Inn and Suites in La Joya. Subsequent investigation revealed that the hotel had been completely booked by Catholic Charities to house migrants prior to their departure for other parts of the country, all without the knowledge of city officials.
Meanwhile, over in Weslaco, city officials there learned Catholic Charities had similarly been registering infected aliens at the Texas Inn on Texas Boulevard in Weslaco. Mayor David Suarez called upon the organization to “let city officials know when they house Covid infected migrants in their city.”
“We take this matter very seriously, and our priority in Weslaco has been and continues to be the health and wellness of our community,” Suarez said in a statement. “We graciously ask Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley to help us protect all lives, including those most vulnerable to COVID-19 complications.”
For more, see the KVEO-TV website.