US lawmakers hold press conference about COVID-19, immigration ‘crisis’ at border

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, will hold a news conference with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, on Friday morning to discuss COVID-19 and immigration.

The news conference will start at 10 a.m. and it will be livestreamed in this article. Delays are possible; if there is not a livestream available, check back at a later time.

Cuellar is among the Texas lawmakers who have urged the Biden administration to prioritize the health and safety of border agents and communities amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

“They need to stop letting people in,” Cuellar recently told KSAT.

On Thursday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a new order in Texas that allows state troopers to stop and turnaround vehicles carrying migrants on the basis that they could contribute to the virus’ spread. The new order was swiftly met with criticism by the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and some activist groups.

Read more:

• Some Texas groups oppose Governor Greg Abbott’s order targeting migrants
• San Antonio hospitals struggle with rising COVID-19 cases
• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s new order bans local governments from issuing mask, vaccine mandates