• Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • People & Blogs
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
WWS
  • News
  • Events
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • HIV Debunked
  • WWS Podcast
  • Medical
  • Law
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Events
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • HIV Debunked
  • WWS Podcast
  • Medical
  • Law
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • People & Blogs
No Result
View All Result
WWS
No Result
View All Result

US Border Control Separating Kids from Parents With HIV

Calling HIV a communicable disease, Border Control chief justifies family separation.

in News, United States
3 min read

Home • Medical • News • US Border Control Separating Kids from Parents With HIV

en flag
zh flag
fr flag
de flag
it flag
ja flag
ko flag

At today’s meeting for House Judiciary Oversight of Family Separation and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP Chief Brian Hastings acknowledged that a parent living with HIV is enough for border agents to justify separating them from their children.

He claimed that this was the “guidance” the agency had in relation to communicable diseases. But under questioning he did not indicate where the guidelines came from, nor could he explain why being poz would put someone’s children at risk. 

Related Conversations

Deportation fears, uncertainty over health insurance and stigma are barriers to accessing hiv services for undocumented african migrants in the us

Deportation fears, uncertainty over health insurance and stigma are barriers to accessing HIV services for undocumented African migrants in the US

Hiv rising amongst homeless population due to opioid epidemic

HIV Rising Amongst Homeless Population Due To Opioid Epidemic

Trump says u.s. can end hiv within 10 years, critics say his own policies haven’t helped

Trump says U.S. can end HIV within 10 years, critics say his own policies haven’t helped

In one exchange, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) asked, “If a mother or father has an HIV positive status, is that alone enough to justify separation from their child?”

CBP Chief Brian Hastings replied, “It is because it’s a communicable disease under the guidance.”

“We have reports of kids being separated from their parents on that basis,” Raskin continued. “Is that what we mean by communicable disease? It’s not communicable from contact.”

Hastings reiterated, “That’s the guidance that we follow.”

Raskin tries to determine where the guidance came from, asking if it was the advice of their legal counsel or came from Border Control’s leadership.

Hastings answers, “I’m not sure if that came from legal counsel. I believe that is defined as a communicable disease.”

Raskin takes another approach, asking, “Do you have a list of the communicable diseases?”

“Not with me, sir, no,” Hastings says.

“I mean the flu is communicable. Would we separate parents from their kids if a mom or dad had the flu?” Raskins asks poignantly.

“We’re not, sir” Hastings replies.

Although HIV is a communicable disease, transmission is relatively difficult, unlike the flu, tuberculosis, or measles. It’s absolutely not transmittable via common practices like kissing, hugging, bathing together, or sharing silverware, and is primarily transmitted through anal or vaginal sex and reuse of injection drug needles.

Though most migrants experience treatment disruptions while in custody, anyone who is living with HIV but on treatment that’s lowered their viral count to undetectible levels cannot transmit HIV to someone else, even through sex or injection drug use.

HIV organizations off the record say they are quickly working on a response to today’s comments, reminding folks that separating parents from their children just because a parent is living with the virus is scientifically unsound and morally outrageous.

View the full exchange below. (HIV is discussed around the 2:27 mark.)

Tags: Boarder Patrol
Share253Tweet158Send
HIV Plus Magazine

HIV Plus Magazine

HIV Plus magazine is based in Los Angeles and was founded by Anne-Christine d'Adesky in 1998. It offers "the latest stories on research, economics, and treatment".

Related Posts

Deportation fears, uncertainty over health insurance and stigma are barriers to accessing hiv services for undocumented african migrants in the us
United States

Deportation fears, uncertainty over health insurance and stigma are barriers to accessing HIV services for undocumented African migrants in the US

Hiv rising amongst homeless population due to opioid epidemic
United States

HIV Rising Amongst Homeless Population Due To Opioid Epidemic

Trump says u.s. can end hiv within 10 years, critics say his own policies haven’t helped
United States

Trump says U.S. can end HIV within 10 years, critics say his own policies haven’t helped

WWS

We bring you the latest in HIV from across the globe. Because HIV is everyone’s conversation.

Follow WWS

Navigation

  • Legal
  • Region-Select
  • Videos

Conversations

  • Good News
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Featured
  • Medical

WWS

  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback
  • Submission
  • The Story

© 2018 Willy Wang Story. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Events
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • HIV Debunked
  • WWS Podcast

© 2018 Willy Wang Story • 王寰故事 - A Canadian Non-Profit Organization Willy Wang Story.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Fill the forms bellow to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Willy Wang Story uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
X