Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut lead a letter calling Custom and Border Protection’s decision to not vaccinate detained people against the flu “unconscionable,” and say that officials’ continued refusal to safeguard the health and safety of detained people even after the in-custody deaths of children from flu “continues to endanger the health and safety of migrant families, CBP personnel, and the American public."
The letter, which is signed by over 60 Democratic legislators in both the House and Senate, debunks border officials’ repeated excuses as to why families just can’t be vaccinated. “First, CBP cites, in part, the ‘short term nature of CBP holdings,” legislators say. “While CBP policy states that ‘detainees should generally not be held for longer than 72 hours,’ a report from the DHS Office of Inspector General recently found prolonged detention times at every facility it reviewed,” in some instances as long as three weeks, they say.
Another excuse from officials cites "operational challenges to conducting vaccination programs,” but legislators say that the CDC already “made a number of suggestions as to how CBP could overcome these operational challenges,” like coordinating with local organizations and the Texas State Immunization Program. But officials not only ignored those CDC recommendations, but refused an offer from a humanitarian medical group to give flu shots for free, calling them “radical political activists.”
The letter “follows disturbing revelations about the deaths of three children in CBP custody over the past year due at least in part to the flu: Wilmer Josue Ramirez Vasquez (2 ½ years old), Felipe Gomez Alonzo (8 years old), and Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez (16 years old),” legislators said in a statement. Surveillance video released by ProPublica shows that officials lied about the circumstances around Carlos’ May death, leading the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to call on the DHS inspector general to refer any findings to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution if needed.
“A flu shot—particularly in the height of flu season—can mean the difference between life and death,” tweeted Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California, a letter signatory. Instead, border officials continue their callous disregard for the lives of vulnerable people knowing full well lives are at risk. “There is no sufficient justification for the failure to vaccinate migrants in CBP custody,” legislators say. “CBP must reverse this decision, which continues to endanger the health and safety of migrant families, CBP personnel, and the American public.”
