Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday border crossers were “a different issue” after confirming he advised President Joe Biden to implement testing requirements for individuals traveling to the United States.
Dr. Fauci was asked by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy during the White House daily press briefing if he believed that everyone should be tested when coming into the United States.
“The answer is yes,” Fauci replied. “Because you know that the new regulation, if you want to call it that, is that anybody and everybody that is coming into the country needs to get a test within 24 hours of getting on the plane to come here.”
When Doocy asked if migrants and border crossers should be held to the same standard, Fauci tried to clarify.
“That’s a different issue,” Fauci replied, arguing there was less of a capability for the government to enforce testing protocols for people crossing the border.
Fauci claimed there was some coronavirus testing at the border — even though the Biden administration has not required universal testing or vaccine mandates for border crossers before they are released into the United States.
Since taking control of the border, the Biden administration has struggled for months to explain why they have failed to implement the same policies for border crossers, illegal immigrants, and migrants entering the United States as legal residents, American citizens, and even tourists.
In September, White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended allowing migrants to enter the United States without proving their vaccination status, while tourists were required to do so.
“It’s not the same thing. … They’re not intending to stay here for an extended period of time,” she said.
Earlier in September, Psaki said, “That is correct,” when asked about the different standards.
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