Donald Trump Closes Southern Border to Migrants, Asylum Seekers

President Donald Trump has ordered border agencies to quickly return all migrants from Mexican territory, regardless of routine asylum laws, according to the New York Times.

The New York Times, citing information from four administration officials, said:

The Trump administration plans to immediately turn back all asylum seekers and other foreigners attempting to enter the United States from Mexico illegally, saying the nation cannot risk allowing the coronavirus to spread through detention facilities and border patrol agents.

But under the new rule, set to be announced in the next 48 hours, border patrol agents would immediately return anyone to Mexico — without any detainment and without any due process — who attempts to cross the southwestern border between the legal ports of entry. They would not be held for any length of time in an American facility.

The decision reduces the danger that the coronavirus will be brought into ICE detention centers by additional migrants.

Trump DOJ shores up anti-abortion groups’ support amid bid to salvage $1.8 billion Planned Parenthood lawsuit

Official Who Waged War on DEI Out at DOJ

NTSB recovers cockpit voice recorder from Learjet crash site in Florida

Iran Accused of Hacking French Supermarket Refrigerators in Latest Cyber Attacks: ‘Unprecedented’

Watch: Liam Neeson Unable to Hide His Disgust When He Learns How Netflix Is Butchering ‘Narnia’

Cry-Bullies: Hilarity Breaks Out When Anti-Semites Bullying Jewish Shop Owners Realize They Themselves Are About to Get Bullied

South Carolina dad left sleeping 6-year-old in line for Pokémon cards at Target: police

Dana White takes questions at podium during White House briefing with Trump

Jeffries vows Democrats won’t ‘give a dime’ to Trump’s deportation efforts

Watch: CNN Interview Blows Up in Garcia’s Face After He Talks About Stephen Miller’s Crimes, But Can’t Name Any… Twice

Trump tells DHS chief to work with Democrats on immigration reform, but no amnesty

Breaking: GOP Navy SEAL Vet Holds on to House Seat in Battleground State

Trump’s redistricting gamble faces reckoning as GOP holdouts claim vindication

ASRA NOMANI: El-Sayed glides into role as rock star of the hard left’s red-green alliance

SCOTUS allows Trump admin to temporarily resume border construction in Texas’ Big Bend

The short report does not explain the legal rationale for the decision, which puts a final closure on the much-diminished 2019 inflow from Central America. But Section 212(f) of the 1965 immigration act says:

Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.

Business groups strongly dislike this 212(f) rule, which can raise Americans’ wages by choking off the flow of blue-collar migrants into Americans’ workplaces during a growing economy.

The southern border will stay open for Americans, foreigners with proper documents, and for trade, the New York Times continued:

The administration officials said the ports of entry would remain open to American citizens, green-card holders and foreigners with proper documentation. Some foreigners would be blocked, including Europeans currently subject to earlier travel restrictions imposed by the administration. The points of entry will also be open to commercial traffic.

The New York Times‘ report was also silent about the northern border, which is open to many of the travelers from China who have been welcomed by the Canadian government during the last several weeks.