Mayorkas spoke about the migrant crisis during an appearance at the daily press briefing at the White House.
He said that DHS officials set up medical tents with 150 medical professionals to help the population of migrants but claimed he was personally not sure if any of them got sick with the coronavirus.
“We certainly had some individuals get sick, not specifically with COVID, to my knowledge,” Mayorkas said.
He confirmed that some of the migrants were released in the United States, but used the term “alternatives to detention” to describe the process.
“We remain in touch with them. We monitor them to ensure their appearance in court at the designated time of appearance,” he said.
The White House continues struggling to explain why migrants apprehended on the Southern border are not tested for coronavirus or required to provide proof of vaccination for the virus, despite requiring it from travelers to the United States.
