EDITOR:

In a letter to the editor, Ralph B. Blasier writes: “This weekend (July 30-Aug 1), the Delta Animal Shelter hosted a canine athletic event at the Delta County fairgrounds”

Is this going to be about dogs?

He continues: “In past years, contestants came from as far as Texas, all of the Midwest, and Canada. This year, at the northern border, the Biden-Obama Administration would not allow Canadians to come to the USA.”

The Obama/Biden administration was replaced by Trump. in January, 2017. Until recently, Canada’s border, too, was closed to Americans as both countries tried to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Dr. Blasier claims: “[At the southern border, the Biden-Obama Administration has invited more than a million illegal immigrants into the country. And these are only the ones that ICE caught and counted. There are probably another million more not counted,” adding: “Very few of these persons have been deported, because Biden issued an executive moratorium preventing deportation within a day or two after his inauguration.”

On January 26, a day or two after Biden took office, the moratorium was blocked by a federal court order and deportations resumed. Border Patrol data shows there were 381,636 enforcement encounters at the Southwest border with 64,046 apprehensions and 317,590 Title 42 expulsions in the 2021 fiscal year, which began in October, 2020. By comparison, in the previous fiscal year, there were 400,651 encounters with 203,608 apprehensions and 197,043 expulsions.

According to Blaiser: “Most of these illegal immigrants have not been tested for COVID.” He says: “but random tests have found about 10 percent of them to be COVID positive, ” adding: “The Administration does not treat or quarantine these people. Instead, the Administration puts them on busses or airplanes to send them all over the country.”

Detainees are not tested by the Border Patrol at the southern border, but they are tested after transfer to other government-run facilities. The Trump administration released hundreds of immigrants as the coronavirus was spreading in detention centers across the country. The Biden administration has continued to expel the majority of asylum seekers and others at the border. It is not expelling unaccompanied children.

Dr. Blaisers conclusion: “This is the same Administration that is contemplating another round shut-downs and mask-mandates for citizens, while ignoring COVID-infected illegal aliens” He asks: “Is this hypocrisy?”

What began as a letter about a canine event ends as an ill-informed attempt to discredit the Biden administration’s effort to end a pandemic that has sickened millions and killed thousands. But facts, after all, are stubborn things.

Nino E Green

Escanaba