WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2021) The US urged illegal immigrants to line up for COVID-19 vaccinations alongside of American citizens with a promise from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that there will be no arrests or deportations.
"It is a moral and public health imperative to ensure that all individuals residing in the United States have access to the vaccine," DHS announced in a press release on Tuesday. "ICE does not and will not carry out enforcement operations at or near health care facilities, such as hospitals, doctors' offices, accredited health clinics, and emergent or urgent care facilities, except in the most extraordinary of circumstances."
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is a division of DHS.
DHS also said its US Customs and Border Protection will not conduct "enforcement operations" near vaccination sites.
DHS concluded its announcement by saying it is "committed to ensuring that every individual who needs a vaccine can get one, regardless of their immigration status."
In a sharp reversal from the Trump administration, President Joe Biden has promised to pursue a path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants who have lived in the US for years, if not decades.
