WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – The United States plans to begin testing some migrants in detention for COVID-19 before deporting them, an official familiar with the effort said on Thursday, after infections among deportees in Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico.
FILE PHOTO: A member of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Removal Operations (ERO) (San Francisco and Northern California) Fugitive Operations teams is pictured during an operation in San Jose, California, U.S. September 25, 2019. REUTERS/Kate Munsch/File Photo
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will acquire 2,000 tests per month from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to screen deportees, the official said, without mentioning the timing.
The agency is unlikely to have enough tests for all deportees and will need to prioritize, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
ICE and HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The move comes amid criticism from foreign governments about receiving migrants infected with the coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19.
Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica and Ecuador have all asked for testing, the U.S. official said.
“They all want it. Who wouldn’t?”
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