download a PDF

July 30, 2021

The Honorable Yvette Herrell

U.S. House of Representatives1305 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC, 20515-3102

Dear Representative Herrell,

The situation at the southern border is a crisis of epic proportions. The number of migrants attempting to cross the border illegally recently hit a 21-year high and the COVID-19 positivity rate of people coming through the Rio Grande Valley sector of the southern border–the epicenter of the growing crisis–has increased by 900%.

Independent Women’s Voice, the leading national women’s organization dedicated to expanding support for common sense public policies among women, independents, millennials, and GenZ, has serious concerns about the current administration’s failure to issue COVID tests, require proof of vaccination, or enforce quarantine restrictions or social distancing to those coming in illegally at the border. This is senseless and reckless, particularly with the heightened risk and rising spread of the increasingly dangerous COVID-19 variant: the Delta strand.

To make matters worse, President Biden is considering fully repealing Title 42 which was issued at the start of the pandemic and put a temporary suspension of entry of persons who attempt to cross the border illegally into the country. Sadly, this will only worsen the already difficult situation at the border.

Thank you, Congresswoman, for introducing the Protecting Americans from Unnecessary Spread upon Entry (PAUSE) Act of 2021 which is aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. Under the PAUSE Act, Title 42 must remain in effect until:

  1. All state and federal lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, curfews, and other COVID-19 mandates end;
  2. All public and federal public health emergencies for COVID-19 end; and
  3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) traveler health risk level for Canada and Mexico is reduced to Level 1.

Americans have made and continue to make enormous sacrifices in the fight against COVID-19. Before asking Americans to sacrifice even more,IWV strongly urges that all travel health requirements and COVID screening procedures be applied to everyone equally and fairly, including those crossing land borders. As you put it, it is fundamentally unfair to ask Americans to put their lives on hold while allowing unfettered entry at the border.

Thank you for your leadership on this important issue

Sincerely,

Hadley Heath Manning
Director of Policy
Independent Women’s Voice