The requirement that non-U.S. citizens arriving by land or ferry terminals show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 has been extended, the Department of Homeland Security said, a requirement imposed as the Biden administration faces a historic crisis of unauthorized border crossings.
DHS announced Thursday that it would extend Title 19 requirements giving the administration authority to continue to enforce the vaccination mandates for noncitizen travelers. Travelers will have to show a written record of vaccination from a government health agency in addition to showing their passport and other required documentation for border inspection by Customs and Border Protection.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to protecting public health while facilitating lawful trade and travel, which is essential to our economic security,” said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
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COVID-19 testing, though, will not be required for entry into the country. The decision to extend the requirement was made in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While travelers coming through ports of entry will be required to be vaccinated, the Biden administration is presiding over historic numbers of migrants crossing the border without authorization, avoiding such requirements. For now, migrants are supposed to be turned away immediately under a pandemic policy known as Title 42, but the administration has announced that it plans to revoke the rule in late May.
The vaccination mandate for travelers who are not U.S. citizens does not affect a similar mandate for international arrivals by air. The Biden administration implemented a policy on Nov. 8 that noncitizens entering the United States on international flights must be fully vaccinated and able to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding the outbound airplane.
“The continuation of these requirements helps protect the health and safety of both the personnel at the border and other travelers, as well as U.S. destination communities, and ensures that public health measures governing land travel align with those that govern incoming international air travel,” DHS said.
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The department did not give an expiration date for the requirement, though it said that it “may amend or rescind the requirements at any time.”
“In determining whether and when to rescind this order, DHS anticipates that it will take account of whether the vaccination requirement for non-U.S. air travelers remains in place,” the department said.
