Trump Considering Capitalizing On Crisis By Completely Blocking All Illegal Border Crossings From Mexico

The Associated Press: Trump Mulls Sending All Who Cross Border Illegally To Mexico
The Trump administration is considering a plan to turn back all people who cross the border illegally from Mexico, two administration officials said Tuesday, using powers they say the president has during pandemics like the coronavirus outbreak to mount what would be one of the most aggressive attempts to curtail illegal immigration. The plan is under consideration and no final decisions have been made, according to the officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the plan hasn’t been announced. (Spagat and Long, 3/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration May Close U.S. Borders To Unauthorized Foreigners Over Coronavirus Risk
Under the plan, the administration would keep ports of entry open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents and foreigners with legal permission to enter the country. Foreigners covered by President Trump’s existing travel restrictions on China and Europe are already not permitted to enter at either of the U.S.’s land borders. Migrants crossing the southern border between legal ports of entry, including those claiming asylum, would be swiftly returned to Mexico by the U.S. Border Patrol. (Hackman and Caldwell, 3/17)

Los Angeles Times: Trump Administration Takes Steps To Close Border To Migrants, Citing Coronavirus
Agents will have to check migrants’ information, including criminal records, in the field. Equipment to help them perform those checks was already being distributed Tuesday, Judd said. Judd, who is close to the Trump administration, added that the new policy could take effect as soon as Tuesday night. “This will greatly limit the potential for spread of the coronavirus,” he said. “The administration was looking at ways to minimize exposure.” (O’Toole and Hennessy-Fiske, 3/17)

The New York Times: Live Coronavirus Updates And Coverage
The administration officials said the ports of entry would remain open to American citizens, green-card holders and foreigners with proper documentation. Some foreigners would be blocked, including Europeans currently subject to earlier travel restrictions imposed by the administration. The points of entry will also be open to commercial traffic. (3/17)

CNN: US Is Pushing To Reject All Asylum Seekers, Citing Coronavirus Worries 
The administration is pushing to use the coronavirus pandemic to accomplish some of the tough immigration restrictions that hardliners have struggled to put into practice since President Donald Trump took office, including blocking entry to asylum seekers, according to US officials briefed on the plans. A plan to turn back all migrants seeking asylum would have its most immediate effect on the US-Mexico border. It has run into opposition from several government agencies, in part because of concerns that it would violate US and international law, including treaties on how to deal with refugees and victims of torture. (Perez, Sands and Alvarez, 3/17)

The Hill: US, Canada Preparing To Unveil Border Restrictions: Reports 
The United States and Canada are working on a plan to bar non-essential travel between the two countries, according to multiple reports late Tuesday. A Canadian government official told The Associated Press that the two countries were working out the details of the new restrictions ahead of an expected announcement. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported that the plan could be announced as early as Wednesday. (Byrnes, 3/18)

CNN: US And Canada Preparing To Suspend Non-Essential Travel Between The Two Countries 
The United States and Canada are preparing to issue a joint statement in the next 24-48 hours to suspend non-essential travel between the two countries, a Trump administration official tells CNN. The agreement is not yet finalized and officials are still working to define “non-essential travel,” but the official stressed that the new restrictions will ensure that business and trade between the two countries can continue. (Diamond, 3/18)

And in other news —

Politico: Anger Builds Over Virus Dangers In Immigration Courts
President Donald Trump’s increasingly urgent campaign to attack the coronavirus outbreak is having a notably meager impact in the immigration courts, where dramatic moves could undercut his signature policy of getting tough on undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers. As state and federal courts around the country scale back sharply due to the pandemic, most immigration courts have pressed on with only minor adjustments, prompting growing outrage from immigration judges, lawyers for immigrants facing deportation and even the attorneys who serve as prosecutors. (Gerstein, 3/17)