Biden warns COVID 'knows no boundaries' as COVID+ migrants are released at southern border

As concern over the COVID-19 Delta variant rises, President Biden is warning that the virus "knows no boundaries," even as thousands of migrants pour across the U.S.-Mexico border without a testing or vaccination system in place.

About 50,000 migrants caught at the border have reportedly been released into U.S. communities, and some have tested positive for COVID-19. The city of McAllen, Texas has discovered thousands of positive cases among migrants that U.S. authorities have released to local officials.

"Since mid-February of 2021 there have been over 7,000 confirmed COVID-19 positive immigrants released into the City of McAllen by CBP, including over 1,500 new cases in the past seven days," read a city document.

Overall, more than 1 million illegal immigrants have been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border between October 2020 and June 2021.

"The virus knows no boundaries," Biden said at the White House this week in discussing his administration's vaccination efforts. "You can't build a wall high enough to keep it out. There is no wall high enough or ocean wide enough to keep us safe from a vaccination in other — from the COVID-19 in other countries.

"In fact, just like the original virus that caused COVID-19, the Delta variant came from abroad. As long as the virus continue to rage outside the United States, potentially more dangerous variants could arrive at our shores again."

The Department of Homeland Security currently lacks a formal policy that requires testing of migrants before they are released to U.S. localities.

To date, the Biden Administration has only vaccinated a "limited number" of migrants whom authorities have stopped at the border before they are released, according to Reuters. The administration might adopt a policy that requires vaccinating migrants apprehended at the border but a formal policy has not been publicly announced.

According to a report published on Wednesday, the Biden Administration is also considering a vaccination requirement for foreign visitors entering the U.S. from other countries.

Just the News reached out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ask if the U.S. government is going to require proof of vaccination for foreign travelers visiting the U.S.

"International travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading new COVID-19 variants," a CDC spokesperson said in response. "CDC recommends delaying international travel until you are fully vaccinated.

"All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the United States."