Scoop: Border Democrats want migrants vaccinated

According to this article on Axios, by Hans Nichols, author of Sneak Peek

“Some Democrats representing border districts want President Biden to vaccinate migrants crossing into the U.S. — especially if he lifts public health restrictions that have prevented them from claiming asylum on American soil.

Why it matters: Inoculating migrants treads a fine line of protecting the U.S. population while possibly incentivizing more migration with the offer of free COVID-19 vaccines. Republicans are likely to pounce on that.

• “It would be silly not to give the migrants access to the vaccines,” said Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Tex.), who represents the Brownsville area. “It would protect the migrants, and our communities, against the virus.”
• “I have been pushing to vaccinate kids, older kids, who have the ability to give consent, on the American side of the border,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Tex.), who represents the El Paso area. “It’s in our interest.”
• “The answer is not, as Biden and [Vice President Kamala] Harris want, to let everybody in and then let everybody go,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). “The answer is not open borders; the answer is to secure the border and enforce our laws.”
• Decisions about how to distribute the vaccines have largely been left to the states, an administration official noted.”