House Judiciary chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) introduced legislation Thursday that would ban the U.S. from deporting illegal aliens who test positive for coronavirus.
According to the Coronavirus Containment Act of 2020, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be forced to conduct coronavirus testing on individuals slated for deportation. If they test positive, they will not be deported until they test negative.
The proposed legislation also requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to publish and continuously update data relating to the testing of these individuals during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a summary of the legislation.
“Not only has President Trump failed to contain COVID-19 within the United States, he has allowed ICE to recklessly export the pandemic abroad,” Nadler said in a statement.
“If we want to seriously stop the spread of this global health crisis, we cannot let ICE continue the dangerous practice of repatriating individuals without appropriate testing. The bill I’ve introduced requires ICE to expand testing for individuals set for repatriation and halt the removal of any individual who tests positive for COVID-19,” Nadler continued.
According to ICE’s website, temperature screenings are already in place at the flight line for removals. Those who have a temperature of 99 degrees or above “will be immediately referred to a medical provider for further evaluation and observation,” the agency notes.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.