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Latino Democratic Congressman Wants To Help Border Agents Get Vaccinated

(Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

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Kaylee Greenlee Immigration and Extremism Reporter
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A Latino Democratic congressman is soliciting agencies for doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to give to federal border officials, according to the Border Report on Monday.

Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials are not set to receive COVID-19 vaccinations under federal guidelines, CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan told Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, according to the Border Report. In response, Cuellar is asking Veterans Affairs offices and local officials to donate some of their allotted doses to the thousands of federal officials who have yet to be vaccinated.

“His response was, ‘It’s a little bit more complicated.’ So this morning we spoke and he says, ‘I’m going to take you up on the offer (to help),’” Cuellar said, according to the Border Report.

Cuellar said he requested that the border officials be considered front-line workers by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, according to the Border Report. (RELATED: Hundreds Of Unapproved COVID-19 Test Kits Imported From Mexico Seized By Authorities)

“This morning, I sent a note to Nim Kidd, who is the state coordinator for Emergency Management and said, ‘Hey, how about the federal officials?’ We got to make sure we cover them also,” Cuellar said, according to the Border Report.

A spokesperson for Kidd, Seth Christensen said that “vaccine providers in Texas should be following the Texas Department of State Health Services’ guidelines for vaccinations. As you know, groups 1A and 1B are eligible for vaccination in Texas,” according to the Border Report.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said he would join Cuellar’s effort to secure vaccinations for border officials including the 1,800 who are employed by the County’s Sheriff’s office, according to the Border Report.

A CBP spokesperson said that “currently there are no scheduled or pre-arranged vaccinations for Border Patrol personnel in the Rio Grande Valley. As the Rio Grande Valley Sector becomes aware of the availability of the Covid-19 vaccine, the information is relayed to personnel,” according to the Border Report.

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