Surgeon General states that immigration status should not matter for the COVID-19 vaccine

On Sunday, December 20, 2020, the US’ Surgeon General, Jerome Adams, gave an interview to CBS News during the section “Face the Nation”. Adams specifically commented on the COVID-19 vaccination process, access to medical services for black communities and undocumented immigrants, and protection of personal information collected during vaccination sessions nationwide.

Speaking specifically about the immigration sector, the interviewer asked the Surgeon General about distress present among undocumented foreigners, who fear receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and possibly facing deportation proceedings under strict policies of the Trump administration.

Adams openly expressed that vaccination is a matter of public concern and that immigration status should not be important, as that would only harm the local population and delay the US’ ability to overcome the current crisis and the reactivation of the economy.

In fact, Adams stated that “No one in this country should be denied a vaccine because of their documentation status, because it’s not ethically right to deny those individuals (…) I want to reassure people that your information (…) will not be used in any way, shape or form to harm you legally.”

Adding to that, the Surgeon General stated that the reason why he assures that personal information will not be used for immigration processes, is because he received that order from higher sources, government officials, the incoming Biden administration and medical entities, which seek to benefit all residents of the US, including those who are undocumented.

This is positive news for immigrant communities

It is no secret that the current administration of the US has tried to reduce illegal immigration at all costs. With this, we refer not only to greater border protection, but also to operations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain undocumented immigrants and initiate deportation proceedings for them.

Therefore, through strict and restrictive policies, the Trump administration has been responsible for instilling fear, anguish and hopelessness among undocumented immigrants, who, for the most part, have active immigration processes and pay annual taxes to be able to request their legal documentation.

Immigration enforcement under the Trump administration has increased skepticism among these immigrant communities, who avoid contact with any law enforcement entity, including the police department, for fear of losing their immigration status in the US.

Adding to that, hundreds of undocumented immigrants have avoided seeking medical assistance amid the global Coronavirus pandemic for fear of deportation, which could lead to many of them avoiding vaccination.

However, President-elect Joe Biden, along with his Cabinet, is likely to remove many of Trump’s immigration policies, allowing undocumented foreigners to receive the necessary doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and avoid another massive outbreak in the US.

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