Trump Orders Migrants Entering US Irregularly To Be Turned Back

United States President Donald Trump has said he will invoke a law in light of the coronavirus pandemic to block undocumented migrants from entering the US either from the northern or southern border, saying the crossings “threaten to create a perfect storm”.

Trump made the announcement at a news conference on Friday, in which he also announced that the US and Mexico would restrict non-essential travel across their shared border in an effort to limit the spread of the new coronavirus.

Immigrants rights groups immediately condemned the move, saying it fuels “anti-immigrant sentiment

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Any migrants entering the country through irregular routes along the land borders would immediately be turned backed under the measure, instead of being processed by US authorities.

Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said on Friday that Mexico will allow the US to return Mexican and Central American migrants caught trying to enter the US through unofficial routes.

Ebrard, however, said Mexico will not permit the US to send back migrants detained on the joint frontier who are not Mexican or Central American.

Around 120 migrants from the region are detained at the border every day, he said.

The new policy is set to go into effect Friday at midnight.