From PolitiFact:
As experts sprint to learn more about the omicron variant first identified in South Africa, the U.S. has set travel restrictions on South Africa and other countries in the region to curb the spread of the variant.
President Joe Biden restricted travel on Nov. 26 from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Those restrictions are in effect until Biden chooses to end them.
More:Omicron spread in Austin likely after first Texas case confirmed, health leaders say
In a Nov. 29 tweet, Gov. Greg Abbott weighed in on the travel restrictions and linked the idea of people coming from South Africa and surrounding countries to illegal immigration. Abbott criticized Biden’s travel and border policies in the tweet.
“Over 50 illegal immigrants from South Africa and other South African countries under the Biden travel ban have been apprehended by CBP this year, with 18 being apprehended this month alone,” Abbott said in a tweet that gained traction online.
Customs and Border Protection told PolitiFact Texas it logged 39 encounters from January through October with migrants from southern Africa.
So where did Abbott’s numbers come from?
Read the full article here, and listen to an interview with PolitiFact’s Nusaiba Mizan in the audio player above.
