Mexican protesters have shut a US southern border crossing amid fears that untested American travellers will spread coronavirus.
Residents in Sonora, south of the US state of Arizona, have promised to block traffic into Mexico for a second day after closing a checkpoint for hours on Wednesday.
They wore face masks and held signs telling Americans to “stay at home”.
Mexico has fewer than 500 confirmed Covid-19 cases and the US over 65,000.
The border is supposed to be closed to all except “essential” business, but protesters said there has been little enforcement and no testing by authorities.
The blockade was led by members of the group Sonorans for Health and Life, who called for medical testing to be done on anyone who crosses from the US into Mexico.
Mullin’s confirmation survives key test vote as DHS remains shutdown
Trump mocks ‘discombobulated’ Schumer over Democrats’ near gaffe on funding ICE
Wisconsin Dems Cruelly Mock Retired Republican Senator Suffering Multiple Personal Tragedies
The Iran Conflict Exposed America’s Major Energy Weakness: Global Oil
Chicago residents unionize to fight possible displacement, rent hikes over Obama Presidential Center
Watch: College Student Wants ‘Condemption’ of Rapists but Doesn’t Want ICE to Remove Them – She Also Can’t Figure Out What ICE Stands For
Trump says ICE will deploy to airports Monday to assist TSA amid funding standoff
Dem Governor Begs Rich People Who Fled New York For Florida To Return And Foot Bill For ‘Generous Social Programs’
Former FBI agent Robert Levinson’s disappearance still unsolved as bureau presses for new tips
NYC’s First Lady Exposed Approving of Suicide Attack Propaganda, Plane Hijackers, and Outrageous Attacks on US Troops
Tensions and deadlocks over Trump’s US attorney picks hit fever pitch
Jewish voters feel ‘politically homeless’ as antisemitism rises on both sides
Pence: Trump upended ‘some aspects’ of GOP agenda but ‘hasn’t really changed the Republican Party’
Virginia Democrats push gambling bill after taking massive donations from gambling company
Fairfax County ignored 2023 detainer against illegal immigrant now accused of murder, ICE says
Jose Luis Hernandez, a group member, told the Arizona Republic: “There are no health screenings by the federal government to deal with this pandemic. That’s why we’re here in Nogales. We’ve taken this action to call on the Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to act now.”
The Mexican president has been criticised for his response to the pandemic, as has US President Donald Trump.
Mr Hernandez said the Wednesday demonstrations were a “first warning” to Mr Lopez Obrador, popularly known by his initials, Amlo.
The group has called for enforcement of the crossing ban on all US or Mexican citizens for tourism or medical reasons, including those who cross the border every day to attend school or work in the US.
Authorities must also conduct medical testing on Mexicans deported from the US, they said.
Mullin’s confirmation survives key test vote as DHS remains shutdown
Trump mocks ‘discombobulated’ Schumer over Democrats’ near gaffe on funding ICE
Wisconsin Dems Cruelly Mock Retired Republican Senator Suffering Multiple Personal Tragedies
The Iran Conflict Exposed America’s Major Energy Weakness: Global Oil
Chicago residents unionize to fight possible displacement, rent hikes over Obama Presidential Center
Watch: College Student Wants ‘Condemption’ of Rapists but Doesn’t Want ICE to Remove Them – She Also Can’t Figure Out What ICE Stands For
Trump says ICE will deploy to airports Monday to assist TSA amid funding standoff
Dem Governor Begs Rich People Who Fled New York For Florida To Return And Foot Bill For ‘Generous Social Programs’
Former FBI agent Robert Levinson’s disappearance still unsolved as bureau presses for new tips
NYC’s First Lady Exposed Approving of Suicide Attack Propaganda, Plane Hijackers, and Outrageous Attacks on US Troops
Tensions and deadlocks over Trump’s US attorney picks hit fever pitch
Jewish voters feel ‘politically homeless’ as antisemitism rises on both sides
Pence: Trump upended ‘some aspects’ of GOP agenda but ‘hasn’t really changed the Republican Party’
Virginia Democrats push gambling bill after taking massive donations from gambling company
Fairfax County ignored 2023 detainer against illegal immigrant now accused of murder, ICE says
The group have vowed to block the DeConcini checkpoint again after shutting it down on Wednesday afternoon.
President Trump has made cutting the number of people crossing the border from Mexico into the US a centrepiece of his administration. He blames border-crossers from the south for bringing economic and social problems into the US.
He announced last week that the frontier was to close due to coronavirus.
Story cited here.
