Among the biggest dangers inherent in the wave of migrants now flooding across our southern border is the Left’s refusal to distinguish between those who legally apply for resident status and those who sneak into the country. Liberals are fond of referring to the latter group as undocumented workers, claiming that the real designation — illegal alien — is dehumanizing.
But this distinction is more than just a matter of nomenclature. As the numbers of those seeking to enter the country swell to unprecedented proportions, the potential for a public health crisis emerges. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes:
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) mandates that all immigrants and refugees undergo a medical screening examination to identify inadmissible health conditions. … Most experts agree that testing for TB, hepatitis B, and HIV should be performed for most new arrivals to the United States. … Vaccine records, laboratory evidence of immunity, and history of vaccine-preventable diseases should be obtained and age-appropriate vaccines be given as indicated. … A complete blood count with differential and urinalysis is appropriate for most new arrivals for diagnosis of anemia or eosinophilia or to identify evidence of hemoglobinopathy. A basic metabolic panel may be indicated, especially for those of appropriate age or with evidence of conditions such as renal disease or diabetes.
These tests are never performed and the required vaccination records never obtained for those who enter the country clandestinely and manage to evade authorities. “Newly arrived immigrants and refugees,” the CDC warns, “may have undiagnosed infectious diseases or untreated chronic health conditions.” If these people remain untreated and blend into the population, an epidemic could result.
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Even those who are sick and are apprehended pose a risk by dint of their numbers. According to the Washington Examiner in January:
Border Patrol agents have spent nearly 20,000 hours since October driving asylum seekers to and from hospitals for medical evaluations, according to newly released Department of Homeland Security data.
Since Oct. 1, 2018, the Border Patrol, which works in rural areas between border crossings, has “seen an increase in the numbers of apprehended individuals requiring medical assistance.”
A total of 2,224 migrants, primarily from Guatemala and Honduras, have been hospitalized due to health issues that could not be treated on site in the last month alone, according to a CBP statement.
How has the Left treated wakeup calls like this? With denial. If you do a Google search for the keywords “disease “carried by migrants southern border of U.S.,” the vast majority of links returned are to articles at left-leaning sites that scoff at the legitimate health warnings because they are “politically incorrect.”
