Text of Senator Charles Schumer's Letter to Secretary Tom Ridge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Secretary Tom Ridge
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Secretary Ridge:

I am writing to respectfully urge the Department of Homeland Security to enlist the expertise of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that border patrol and uniformed federal agents in New York are trained to deal with the growing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic.

It is my belief that border personnel need to be trained and equipped to spot SARS and to learn how to deal with the thousands of illegal aliens from Pacific Rim countries who cross the border each year, many of whom stop off in Toronto on the way, so New Yorkers and all Americans do not catch the disease from them.

I have asked the CDC to coordinate efforts with your office to make sure that every precaution is taken to combat and contain SARS. Our border patrol personnel and uniformed federal agents are particularly vulnerable right now because they may be coming into contact with illegal aliens carrying SARS and not even know it. We need to equip these agents with the supplies and know-how to deal with SARS, so that they and the rest of the country are protected from this epidemic.

According to Border Patrol personnel responsible for the uniformed response to alien smuggling, approximately 300-400 illegal aliens cross the border in or near Massena every month, and hundreds more cross in the Buffalo area.

A very large percentage of the aliens are from Pacific Rim nations, such as China and Korea, almost all of whom enter North America in Toronto. Many of these people are impoverished with weak immune systems, Border Patrol sources say. When they board airplanes, individuals infected with SARS could pass the illness on to others.

As you know, there are currently procedures in place to ward off tuberculosis from illegal aliens who might have it. For example, jailers are vaccinated against the disease. I urge you to work with CDC to determine what supplies are needed to handle SARS, such as masks or gloves, and equip relevant personnel with them. In addition, personnel should be given tips for dealing with SARS cases, and signs and symptons of the epidemic that they should look out for.

Regardless of race or nationality, the common denominator along the border is that nearly all aliens travel through Toronto as a staging area for eventual flight into the US. The CDC must work with local law enforcement to advise and protect these agents in the event they encounter aliens who might be carrying the SARS virus. Moreover, once apprehended, the aliens are held in tight confinement and if infected could expose officers and other personnel. Unfortunately, if we don't act soon, it could be only a matter of time before someone becomes infected as a result of contact with an alien.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Charles Schumer
U.S. Senator