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By Emily Trube, 1080 KRLD | CBSDFW.COM
Filed Under:Border, Central America, Department of Homeland Security, disease, doctors, Health, ice, Immigration, Mexico, Texas, Texas Medical Association
(courtesy: Getty Images)

DALLAS, Texas (1080 KRLD) – The President of the Texas Medical Association is concerned about the public health risk that the thousands of teenagers and children streaming across the border may be posing.

Dr. Ausitn King, head of the Texas Medical Association, is calling on Governor Rick Perry and President Barrack Obama to allow doctors to screen all of the unaccompanied children who have been coming across the border from Honduras and El Salvador.

“We don’t know what diseases they have currently,” said King “They need to be screened because of a humanitarian gesture but also because of the public health standpoint.”

Thousands of the kids have been – and are currently being bused – to different parts of the state, and country.

Right now, a medical screening is not part of immigration process.

Dr. King says in order for more doctors to go down to the border, emergency funding would likely need to be approved, and ICE would have to change some policies in order to allow everyone coming across to be screened.

According to Dr. King, several doctors have volunteered their time along the border but due to the overcrowded conditions can only see the kids who are obviously sick.

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