White House says unvaccinated migrants allowed in US and tennis player who isn’t are 'two different things’

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The White House sidestepped a question about why it continues to let untested and unvaccinated illegal immigrants into the United States while tennis star Novak Djokovic is not allowed to enter to play in this year's U.S. Open.

Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy questioned the Biden administration about the paradox during Monday's news briefing.

"How come migrants are allowed to come into this country unvaccinated, but world-class tennis players are not?" he asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

"The U.S. government cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases. Due to privacy reasons, the U.S. also does not comment on medical information of individual travelers as it relates to this tennis player," she replied.

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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on Monday before an exchange with Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy about migrants entering the United States without having been vaccinated. (AP)

Djokovic, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, will miss the U.S. Open over his refusal to get vaccinated.

Jean-Pierre deferred the question to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which she said has its own protocols, saying, "It's two different things."

Doocy further pressed Jean-Pierre on remarks.

"Somebody unvaccinated comes over on a plane, you say that's not OK. Somebody walks into Texas or Arizona unvaccinated, they're allowed to stay?"

"That's not how it works. ... It's not like someone walks over," she replied.

"That's exactly what is happening," Doocy responded. "Thousands of people are walking in a day. Some of them turn themselves over. Some of them are caught. Tens of thousands a week are not. That is what is happening."

Migrants make their way to the U.S. border. (Fox News)

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Biden has been widely criticized for continuing to allow illegal immigrants to be released into border towns while displaying symptoms of the coronavirus, and the number of migrants infected with the virus has surged almost 1,000% in some border sectors.

Earlier this month, the CDC extended Title 42, a Trump-era policy aimed at limiting migrant entries into the United States, citing coronavirus concerns, but that policy does not apply to migrant children.

Doocy and Jean-Pierre also sparred over the policy during their exchange.

"Why is there a CDC [vaccine] requirement for people who fly here as opposed to people who cross the border?" he asked.

"We have talked about Title 42," Jean-Pierre replied. "There is a CDC provision for folks coming through the southern border. It is not just for tennis players."

On April 1, 2022, the CDC announced it would rescind Title 42.

Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.