WASHINGTON — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas insisted Tuesday that the continued restrictions on nonessential travel from Canada are based on health concerns and he is aware of the impact on families and businesses in Michigan and elsewhere.
"We are mindful and monitoring every single day the economic impact of the travel restrictions," Mayorkas told the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. "Our greatest priority is the health and welfare of the American people."
Mayorkas' comments came in response to questioning by the committee's chairman, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who noted that the impact on cross-border families, the tourist trade and other businesses "is serious."
They also came at a time when many, including members of both parties, are questioning why the northern border restrictions remain in place since a larger percentage of Canadians are vaccinated against COVID-19 than Americans.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security said it plans to continue restrictions on nonessential travel across land borders from Canada until at least Aug. 21, even though Canada has announced it will begin allowing vaccinated Americans to come in beginning Aug. 9.
In making that announcement last week, Mayorkas cited concerns over the delta variant of the virus that has been fueling increases in infection, especially in areas with high rates of unvaccinated people. But evidence so far has indicated relatively few hospitalizations being caused by the variant. On Tuesday, Mayorkas acknowledged that the situation in the U.S. now is a "pandemic of the unvaccinated."
The continued restrictions have fueled speculation, especially among northern border officials, that they may be linked to concerns along the southern border with Mexico, where vaccination rates have lagged and extremely high numbers of people have tried to enter the U.S. Some officials have wondered whether the Biden administration has been reluctant to lift restrictions along the northern border while potentially leaving the same rules in place along the Mexican border.
Peters didn't ask that question specifically. But when Peters asked what criteria the department is using to determine how to relax restrictions, Mayorkas said it is simply "the trajectory of the pandemic... This is a public health decision."
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., representing another northern border state, criticized that thinking, saying it doesn't make sense to prohibit vaccinated Canadians from coming in given vaccine rates in both countries and the success of the vaccines.
"I don't understand the public health analysis," she said. "I would urge you to take the steps you need to take to open the border to vaccinated Canadians as quickly as you can."
Mayorkas said it was possible the restrictions could be lifted before Aug. 21 — if the health situation allows for that.
Peters urged Mayorkas to continue to look at possibly looking at relaxing restrictions on certain visitors, such as those with close families in northern border states, and Mayorkas said he has and would continue to do so.
The restrictions on nonessential travel, which has been defined as that involving trade, education or medical visits, has been restricted since last March as a way to combat the spread of the virus.
