PHOENIX – Border agents turned away 6,306 migrants at the southern border in just 10 days after President Donald Trump authorized the immediate return of immigrants and asylum seekers under a 1944 law to check communicable diseases like COVID-19.
Critics charge that the spread of coronavirus was merely a pretext to the administration’s real goal of continuing to turn away people at the border and denying them the due process rights.
“That was a goal from Day One, and he found the perfect opportunity to do it,” said Ur Jaddou, an expert at America’s Voice.
But supporters said it just makes sense to limit travel across the border at a time of pandemic, and that the U.S. needs to think about the health of Border Patrol officers who “are risking their lives out there to keep us safe.”
Reports of the “Title 42” expulsions come as Immigration and Customs Enforcements confirmed 61 cases of COVID-19 among detainees in its facilities and 19 cases among workers at its detention centers.
None of the ICE workers who tested positive for COVID-19 were in Arizona and just five of the detainees were – three in Florence and two in Eloy. Most of the detainee cases majority in the New York and New Jersey area.
Calls seeking comment on the numbers from ICE and CBP were not immediately returned Friday.
The expulsions were authorized by Trump on March 21 under Title 42, Section 265 of the U.S. Code, a July 1944 law that says the Surgeon General can prohibit entry into the U.S. of people who could spread a contagious disease. The act does not require any suspicion that a person is carrying the virus, but it allows CBP to “immediately return these aliens” to Canada or Mexico, or in some cases to their home countries.
The title was invoked as part of an order to stop nonessential travel between the U.S., Canada and Mexico to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“The intro of the bill says, ‘the Surgeon General, in accordance with regulations approved by the President, shall have the power to prohibit … the introduction of persons or properties … as he shall designate in order to avert such danger,’” said Art Arthur, resident fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.
“This is not something that is new. If you go back to when this was first created, I believe 42.USC was published just after D-Day,” Arthur said.
Jaddou, who directs DHS Watch at America’s Voice, agrees that this “is an extraordinary time” and people should “be mindful of their health.” But she said health concerns are not what’s really behind the invocation of Title 42.
“This is the United States,” Jaddou said. “I have been in government before and I know one thing – if there is a will, there is a way… I would have ensured they had the space. I would have called the resources available immediately.”
Instead, she said, the president “failed to acknowledge the issue at hand … saying multiple times, ‘This virus is a hoax,’” failing to mobilize agencies that could help.
“And when they did acknowledge it, the first thing he decided to do is close the borders.” she said.
Jaddou said the order is turning away “people who are leaving their home countries to come to the United States … escaping more than sickness,” she said. “People are fleeing from kidnapping, rape, murder. Things where, if they go bad, it may be life-or-death.”
But Ira Melhman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said he believes the policy is helping limit the virus.
“As far as policy, this makes sense. We have stopped international travel; we are watching the products coming into our country,” Melhman said. “If we are stopping legal entry into the United States, there is certainly no legitimate reason why we should not be stopping illegal entry … and we really owe it to CBP officers, they are risking their lives out there to keep us safe.”
As for the confirmed cases in ICE facilities, Arthur said those people will receive treatment for the virus.
“There are certain standards in the rules that require us to actively care for someone if they get sick,” Arthur said.
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The headline does not support the article.
But Ira Melhman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said he believes the policy is helping limit the virus.
“As far as policy, this makes sense. We have stopped international travel; we are watching the products coming into our country,” Melhman said. “If we are stopping legal entry into the United States, there is certainly no legitimate reason why we should not be stopping illegal entry … and we really owe it to CBP officers, they are risking their lives out there to keep us safe.”
That is just good common sense. And it is so desperately lacking today.
“Donald Trump closing the borders is unwarranted Xenophobic reaction to this crisis.”….Joe Biden.
Can you imagine what the body count would have been if we had Biden or any other spineless Democrat as President? Their liberal advisors would’ve been all in favor of keeping the country wide open as the deaths sky rocked . Political correctness at its most evil.
Be it Joe Biden, or anyone else nominated by the Democrats, they will follow the radical left’s agenda (or Joe won’t get their support) Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Nancy Pelosi, Sheila Jackson Lee, Maxine Waters, Al Green, Beto O’Rourke, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Talib, Ayanna Pressley and llhan Omar. A rogues gallery of socialists, communists and far left radicals who have plans for your tax dollars.
Democrat-Socialist Platform & Goals:
(Taxpayers pay close attention)
-Medicare care for all including illegal aliens. (taxpayer funded with one estimate at 52 trillion) Joe Biden reversed his position on medicare for all citing expense. Bernie Sanders committed..
-End all deportations of illegal aliens, if you get here, you stay. Bernie’s website calls it a “moratorium” on deportations.
-Free Health Care for Illegal aliens, TPS recipients..Taxpayer funded.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/06/27/all_dem_candidates_raise_hand_when_asked_if_illegal_immigrants_should_get_health_care_coverage_at_debate.html
-Ending of all private / employer based health care. Feds run everything.
-College for all, including illegal aliens. (tax payer funded)
-Disarming Americans. Beto O’Rourke’s job in Joe’s administration.
(“Hell yeah I’m taking your guns.”)
-Decriminalization of illegal entry into our country.
-Citizenship for 20 to 50 million illegal aliens & TPS recipients.
-Sanctuary Cities & States.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/16/biden-conservatives-trump-132214
-De-fund & terminate border patrol & ICE.
-Open Borders.
-Massive tax increases.All Democrat candidates have committed to tax increases.
-Joe Biden’s 2 trillion climate change plan.Bernie’s is 4 trillion.
-Drivers licenses for illegal aliens.(already happening in states with Democrat leadership)
-Late term abortions up to 9 months.Google what Democrats are in favor of with Babies who survive abortions. Absolutely horrific.
-Opposed to ANY voter ID Laws.(Nancy wanted this in the corona virus bill)
-Weaken our Military. (As Joe did for 8 years with Barrack Obama.)
-Taxpayer bailout student loan debt. (Cost to taxpayers billions.)
-AOC’s green new deal.(which would create massive unemployment, 100,000 jobs estimate in the transportation industry alone.)
-Reparations for race’s harmed by Caucasians. (Joe along with the other candidates committed this to “Reverend” Al Sharpton.) Sheila Jackson Lee’s bill in the House.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/05/2020-democrats-pledge-support-for-reparations-at-al-sharpton-led-convention.html
-Welfare & Food Stamps for illegal aliens. (Elizabeth Warrens plan adopted)
Corona Virus bill. ( In a crisis situation, Pelosi & house democrats held up and eventually blackmailed republicans for over 100 million in give a ways including ($24 million dollars for the Kennedy center.) the price of the Democrats cooperation to help the American people. Pelosi and House Democrats are already planning to introduce even more pork into the next covid-19 stimulus bill to blackmail republicans again. So far, pelosi wants the green new deal, mandatory diversity for corporate boards, and election reform.
*Sources: Joe Biden’s positions are clearly outlined on his website. You can also access his speeches
on you tube.
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/mar/15/joe-biden/ad-watch-bide
Thank you Michelle. So many lazy people are so ignorant.
Once again, Trump and his cronies are showing they are corrupt cowards by transmogrifying existing laws to further their anti-immigration, white-supremist agenda.
Trump has discovered over the last three years that when he tries to implement new “laws”, policies, procedures and faux emergencies to further his Clorox Plan — the whitening of America — he gets called on it and has to regroup and try another method, usually diverting everyones attention with some new outrage.
Thanks in no small part to a subservient and complicit attorney general, a gutted and demoralized Department of Justice and a Fatherland, oh excuse me, Homeland Security apparatus more concerned with the de-browning of America than protecting the country from foreign governments destabilizing efforts.
This will not be the last time we see the rule of law twisted by the lawless ruler sitting in the White House presiding over the three-ring circus that used to be the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of our government. By the way, P.T. Barnum was wrong — its more like every 30 seconds.
On a side note, the White House or the Executive Mansion, as it is officially known, both have slightly racist undertones. Perhaps we should start using its street address — 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — like 10 Downing Street in London. Of course, until Trump is removed from the residence The White Mansion would be most apropos.
Demoralized DOJ? You must be kidding. The honest employees are begging Trump to clean house at the DOJ. Hold your breath because it is coming.
Racist insults are so passe. Is that all you have? I thought this pandemic might bring the country together, but not for some. They see it as their opportunity to seize power for “their side.” And it is all about power, isn’t it?
Hospitals have supplies, cities have open hospital beds and makeshift tent (MASH style) hospitals are being taken down.
This President should get the Noble Peace Prize!
GOOD it’s America first not the illegals coming over to overcrowd our hospitals and take our jobs at half pay.
Are you gonna go out and harvest the crops cliff?
Even for twice the amount of which the “illegals” do it?
Too bad for you that it’s not douchebags first. If it was, you’d be the first to benefit.
Illegal immigration: because slavery is illegal. Yes, there are plenty of unemployed people that would harvest crops if it paid what it’s worth – which is probably about 4 times what illegals get with benefits. Heck, I’d work 4 months out of the year and take the rest of the year to do something else. And the great thing is the cost of those crops at retail would only increase 10% because only about 3% of your produce retail cost is from harvesting labor.
But it’s a pointless argument anyway AC/DC. Only a tiny fraction of illegals work in agriculture. Most work in landscaping, custodial, construction, food processing, etc. – keeping wages low and the poorer class in this country at the mercy of the 1%.