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.

StopAntisemitism founder warns Mamdani as NYC mayor would be ‘catastrophic’ for residents

Seven missing after powerful explosion at California fireworks facility as evacuation orders remain in place

White House Releases Full Salaries for Trump 47 Staff, Including Leavitt, Miller, More

Trump’s remittance tax aims to slow illegal immigration by targeting the money flow

Trump turns to Supreme Court in fight to oust Biden-era consumer safety officials

Star NFL Rookie Involved in Ugly Lawsuit After Team Swore It Did Background Check

Marc Elias loses lawsuit over allowing foreign funding in Kansas ballot campaigns

Judge Rejects Request from Boulder Terror Suspect’s Family: Deportation for All of Them Next?

Biden-appointed judge halts Trump HHS overhaul after Democrat-led lawsuit

Bush teams up with notorious Trump foes to trash ‘colossal mistake’ shuttering USAID

Bryan Kohberger Officially Pleads Guilty, But 1 Critical Question Remains Unanswered

Rev. Al Sharpton urges Cuomo to step aside in NYC mayoral race: ‘What is best for New York’

‘Crisis brewing’ in Trump Country as hospitals shutter at alarming rate, top ER doc warns

Rotten tomatoes: Arizona lawmakers call on Trump to kill key tariff on Mexico

‘This trial was botched’: New York prosecutors face heat over Diddy failures

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.