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.
Dems provide Republicans key votes to advance Trump-backed funding package
Hunter Biden Argues He’s Not Legally Obligated to Communicate with His 7-Year-Old Daughter in New Court Filing
Trump files $10B lawsuit against IRS over alleged tax return leaks to major news outlets
Man Arrested While Allegedly Attempting to Break Luigi Mangione Out of Prison by Posing as an FBI Agent
Judges weigh Title IX funding fight over Virginia schools’ pro-transgender bathroom policies
‘Zizian’ suspect to represent self at trial as other associates derail murder case
Dem Governor’s Attempt to Frame JD Vance’s Holocaust Remembrance Day Post as Anti-Semitic Backfires
Virginia Democrats seek dozens of new tax hikes, including on dog walking and dry cleaning
FIRST ON FOX: FEMA unleashes $2.2B in disaster relief funding across 25 states: ‘Cutting red tape’
Homan Promises ‘Justice is Coming’ to Those Funding and Organizing Interference with ICE Operations in Minneapolis
Police confirm investigation into anti-ICE Virginia Commonwealth nurse who encouraged drugging agents
No questions and format shift: Four takeaways from first Trump Cabinet meeting of the year
Wild video captures tire flying off British Airways plane moments after takeoff in Las Vegas
Breaking: Man Who Allegedly Sprayed Vinegar at Ilhan Omar Hit with Federal Charge
Anti-Gun Chuck Schumer Defends Second Amendment in Bizarre Attempt to Own Trump: ‘Shall Not Be Infringed’
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.
Dems provide Republicans key votes to advance Trump-backed funding package
Hunter Biden Argues He’s Not Legally Obligated to Communicate with His 7-Year-Old Daughter in New Court Filing
Trump files $10B lawsuit against IRS over alleged tax return leaks to major news outlets
Man Arrested While Allegedly Attempting to Break Luigi Mangione Out of Prison by Posing as an FBI Agent
Judges weigh Title IX funding fight over Virginia schools’ pro-transgender bathroom policies
‘Zizian’ suspect to represent self at trial as other associates derail murder case
Dem Governor’s Attempt to Frame JD Vance’s Holocaust Remembrance Day Post as Anti-Semitic Backfires
Virginia Democrats seek dozens of new tax hikes, including on dog walking and dry cleaning
FIRST ON FOX: FEMA unleashes $2.2B in disaster relief funding across 25 states: ‘Cutting red tape’
Homan Promises ‘Justice is Coming’ to Those Funding and Organizing Interference with ICE Operations in Minneapolis
Police confirm investigation into anti-ICE Virginia Commonwealth nurse who encouraged drugging agents
No questions and format shift: Four takeaways from first Trump Cabinet meeting of the year
Wild video captures tire flying off British Airways plane moments after takeoff in Las Vegas
Breaking: Man Who Allegedly Sprayed Vinegar at Ilhan Omar Hit with Federal Charge
Anti-Gun Chuck Schumer Defends Second Amendment in Bizarre Attempt to Own Trump: ‘Shall Not Be Infringed’
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.
