/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5e723a3d37d0440006bcccf9/0x0.jpg?w=1920&resize=1920,0&ssl=1 "Report: Trump Considers Blocking Americans From Entering U.S. If Suspected Of Having Coronavirus")
TOPLINE
President Donald Trump is considering new regulations that could prevent Americans who are suspected of being infected with coronavirus or having been exposed to it from reentering the country, according to the New York Times.
KEY FACTS
The draft regulation has been circulated to federal agencies for feedback, according to the Times, which reported that it is unclear when it might be approved or officially announced.
If enacted, it would only apply to U.S. citizens “in the rarest of circumstances,” according to the Times.
The proposal is based on CDC’s current legal authority to prevent a citizen or legal resident from entering the U.S. if it’s believed “that the individual either may have been exposed to or is infected with the communicable disease.”
The regulation appears to be intended to apply to all points of entry to the U.S.
It would likely have the biggest impact on crossings at the heavily-trafficked Mexican border.
According to the Times, the draft regulation specifically references the coronavirus outbreak in Mexico, which Johns Hopkins University says is declining.
KEY BACKGROUND
Trump hasn’t shied away from border restrictions during the pandemic, though his major actions before, including banning most travel into the U.S. from Europe and mainland China, mainly affected international flights. But Trump has recently turned his sights on Mexico, blaming the worsening of the pandemic in the U.S. in part on migrants crossing the border from its southern neighbor, even though coronavirus cases in the U.S. have consistently been many times higher than the number of cases in Mexico.
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW
Federal agencies are supposed to send feedback on the regulation to the White House by Tuesday, the Times reported. It’s unclear at this point what that feedback might be and what impact it could have.
FURTHER READING
Trump could temporarily block Americans from returning to the U.S. if they’re suspected of having the coronavirus. (The New York Times)
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