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Texas border city of Laredo confirms its first Delta variant after suing the Biden administration claiming migrant policies are leaving citizens at risk of getting COVID

  The   coronavirus   Delta variant reached Laredo,   Texas   this week as the southern border city moved to sue the Biden administration fo...

 The coronavirus Delta variant reached Laredo, Texas this week as the southern border city moved to sue the Biden administration for transferring mass amounts of illegal migrants to the community.

One case of the highly contagious strain of COVID-19 was confirmed in Laredo on Monday.

'Our concern continues to be that unvaccinated populations, who typically present with the most severe medical outcomes at the hospitals, can also create and spread variants that reduce the efficacy of our vaccines' Laredo Health Authority Dr. Victor Tevino said in a statement, according to local news outlet KGNS. 'This is one of the challenges and reasons why we are seeing an increase in our breakthrough infections.'

The city has also expressed concerns over the transfer of illegal crossers who have not yet been vaccinated as it could lead to a spike in COVID cases in the community.

'The release of people who are COVID-19 positive and/or have been exposed to someone who is COVID-19 positive poses a danger that this city and country have endeavored to remedy since the inception of this pandemic,' the claim from Laredo against the Biden administration states.

'Unfortunately, the federal government has left this public health concern to be tackled by our local government with no considerations of the city's little to no resources nor regard for the deadly ramifications it could have on the country,' it adds. 

The city of Laredo, Texas confirmed it's first positive COVID-19 Delta variant case this week as it sues the U.S. government to stop the Biden administration from sending unvaccinated illegal immigrants to the border community. Migrant families queue at the Holding Institute shelter in Laredo on May 15, 2021

The city of Laredo, Texas confirmed it's first positive COVID-19 Delta variant case this week as it sues the U.S. government to stop the Biden administration from sending unvaccinated illegal immigrants to the border community. Migrant families queue at the Holding Institute shelter in Laredo on May 15, 2021

Laredo, a small border community, has seen an uptick in the number of migrants who test positive for coroanvirus. Since the onset of the pandemic, the city has experienced nearly 45,000 cases and 857 deaths from coroanvirus

Laredo, a small border community, has seen an uptick in the number of migrants who test positive for coroanvirus. Since the onset of the pandemic, the city has experienced nearly 45,000 cases and 857 deaths from coroanvirus  

Laredo, a southern border town, has a population of 262,000 – and 95.4 per cent of the people residing there are Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Only 3.6 per cent of the population is white.

In order to stop the continuation of transportation of migrants to Laredo, the city filed a lawsuit on July 16 against the U.S. government; the Department of Homeland Security and its secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; Customs and Border Protection and its senior official Troy Miller; and the US CBP Office of Border Patrol and its chief Rodney S. Scott.

The court documents claim that every single day between three and six bus loads of detained refugees, immigrants and/or migrants (RIMs) are transported to LArdo from the Rio Grande Valley and Del Rio.

Assistant City Attorney Alyssa Castillon states in the complaint that this means 250-350 RIMs who are transferred to Laredo each day. This doesn't even take into account the number of illegal immigrants apprehended at the border the city shares with Mexico.

Castillon, who is representing Laredo against the U.S., DHS, CBP and border patrol, is requesting an emergency hearing for a temporary restraining order on the transportation of RIMs to Laredo – at least until the city's local shelters can accommodate them better.

The lawsuit focuses on the threat COVID poses to the community with the massive influx of migrants being transferred to the area.

Migrants stand outside the Holding Institute shelter in Laredo on May 15, 2021. The center provides food, shelter and COVID-19 tests but earlier this month was placed under quarantine

Migrants stand outside the Holding Institute shelter in Laredo on May 15, 2021. The center provides food, shelter and COVID-19 tests but earlier this month was placed under quarantine

The Delta variant, first detected in India, has infiltrated the U.S., causing major spikes in most areas of the country

The Delta variant, first detected in India, has infiltrated the U.S., causing major spikes in most areas of the country

Every single state - aside from Iowa - and the District of Columbia are reporting increases of COVID-19 cases this week

Every single state - aside from Iowa - and the District of Columbia are reporting increases of COVID-19 cases this week

The city's lawsuit states that Holding Institute, a non-profit community center in Laredo, had 99 positive coronavirus cases between July 1-7, a positivity rate of 8 per cent and an uptick from the whole month of June, which only saw 50 positive cases at a 2.8 per cent positivity rate.

Holding Institute and Caholic Charities shelters are taking on the lion's share of housing and accommodating incoming RIMs. But those entities are facing additional strain as migrants come in with COVID-19.

On June 9, Holdings Institute was placed under quarantine.

Overall, Laredo has a very low coronavirus case and death rate. Throughout the pandemic, the small border community has reached nearly 45,000 cases and 857 people have fallen fatal from the virus.

'As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to create challenges for our community, vaccinating the unvaccinated community is our primary goal,' Trevino said.

Laredo joined hundreds of other cities across the U.S. in recording its first case this week of the Delta variant, which was first detected in India.

On top of the transfer to Laredo of migrants already detained, in recent days Border Patrol agents assigned to Laredo Border Sector found more than 100 undocumented immigrants smuggled over the border.

The most recent failed snuggling attempt was on Tuesday, when agents at a checkpoint discovered 93 people packed into the cargo area of two tractor trailers. The migrants illegally crossed into the U.S. from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Two days prior to that incident, border officials found 10 Mexican nationals crammed in the back.

CBP's Laredo Sector agents found more than 90 migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador packed into a tractor-trailer that was stopped on U.S. Highway 83 checkpoint northwest of Laredo, Texas, on Tuesday

CBP's Laredo Sector agents found more than 90 migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador packed into a tractor-trailer that was stopped on U.S. Highway 83 checkpoint northwest of Laredo, Texas, on Tuesday

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