Fox’s Peter Doocy Grills Psaki On ‘Super-Spreader’ Migrant Child Detainment Facilities: ‘Where Else’ Would This Be Okay?
Fox News’ Peter Doocy pressed White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki over the Biden Administration’s response to the migrant situation at the U.S. southern border.
As Psaki held a press briefing on Monday, Doocy asked if the administration was using an “honor system” by letting adult immigrants out of detainment without issuing them notice to appear in court. Psaki took issue with Doocy’s “inaccurate depiction” of the administration’s policy, stating their position remains that the border is closed and that the deportation system has ways of expediting the process without a court date.
The exchange between Psaki and Doocy continued as they locked horns over the logistics of the deportation process, plus President Joe Biden’s changing message to immigrants seeking political asylum. The questioning took an interesting turn when Doocy asked Psaki what are the coronavirus risks of keeping hundreds of migrant children detained and in close quarters at border patrol facilities.
“What is [Biden’s] concern for this being a super-spreader event?” Doocy asked. “You’ve got 400 kids stuffed into a pod built for 260.”
Psaki answered that border officials are following CDC guidelines, testing detained children for Covid, and quarantining them when necessary. She further said that the slow construction of detainment facilities was because they wanted to follow guidelines.
“We actually took the steps we did to keep these kids safe,” Psaki said.
“But where else in the country would it be okay to have 400 people in a space for 260 during the pandemic?” Doocy asked.
After Psaki clarified that Doocy was asking about border patrol facilities, she said the administration is “concerned about the public health impact,” and they want to process migrant kids “as quickly as possible” to get them into areas more safely spaced-out. The exchange concluded with Doocy questioning Psaki on whether the administration has actually laid out a process to do that.
Watch above (start at 11:45), via Fox News.
