Officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agency that oversees the Border Patrol, didn’t immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
Romero told Fox that the city doesn’t have the authority to halt migrants who test positive for the virus from traveling anywhere else in the United States, although officials have advised them to quarantine and follow federal health guidelines.
“The City of Brownsville continues to follow all guidelines provided by the CDC and [Department of State Health Services] for COVID-19. The migrants who test positive at the B-Metro facility are advised of quarantine procedures and are asked to socially distance,” Romero also told Noticias Telemundo Investiga.
“There are several NGOs providing resources to a positive case,” he said to the outlet. “For example, organizations help with quarantine either in a shelter or at a hotel. Since the City started testing the migrants on January 25, there has been 6.3 percent of positive cases. The Cameron County positivity rate is 13.8 percent.”
Several illegal immigrants told Noticias Telemundo Investiga that they tested positive for the CCP virus after taking a rapid test in Brownsville, which is located near the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We were tested for COVID and they separated about eight of us because we were positive,” Miriam Izaguirre, of Honduras, told Noticias Telemundo Investiga on March 2. “We are waiting right now.” She was waiting to catch a bus to Houston.
Some illegal immigrants who told the network they had tested positive said they are planning to go to New Jersey, Maryland, and North Carolina.
Eva Orellana, 29, told the outlet that she’s planning to go to North Carolina.
“On the way, we were wearing a mask all the time, gel, washing our hands,” she said. “Really, I don’t feel anything.”
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), whose congressional district lies partially on the border, told Fox News this week that the surge of migrants along the border may turn into a full-fledged crisis.
“In my district, just a couple of days ago: 166 people. And it goes on, and just different numbers are going up. So, it’s not a crisis yet, but it’s going to get there very soon.”
The Democrat noted that his concern isn’t just about the increase in migrants—but also the virus.
“You add COVID-19 on top of that. You add a lot of the border communities are not getting the vaccines fast enough. The fact they aren’t letting Mexican legal visa holders come across, but they’re letting undocumented people in, that does cause a concern to me and a lot of my border community leaders down there,” he said.
