Public Health Measures to Safely Manage Asylum Seekers and Children at the Border

The United States has the ability to both safeguard public health in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis and safeguard the lives of families, adults, and children seeking asylum and other humanitarian protection at the U.S. southern border. The Women’s Refugee Commission endorses the recommendations from public health experts on the measures outlined in this document to protect U.S. border officers, those exercising their legal right to request protection in the United States, and the public health of our nation. These measures include social distancing, wearing masks or similar coverings, using hand sanitizer, demarcations and barriers, health screenings, sheltering in place at homes of family members through proven case management strategies, and more. Such measures, rather than banning people seeking humanitarian protection, protect both public health and the lives of those seeking safety and freedom.