ABC News reports “The U.S.-Mexico border will be temporarily closed to nonessential travel starting Saturday to further help stem the spread of the coronavirus, President Donald Trump announced Friday.”
“As we did with Canada, we’re also working with Mexico to implement new rules at our ports of entry to suspend non-essential travel,” Trump said. “These new rules and procedures will not impede lawful trade and commerce.” Trump said that Mexico is also suspending air travel from Europe.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. has taken “two important steps” this week to help stop the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which is also known as the novel coronavirus.
Pompeo noted the border closure with Canada, announced Wednesday, would go into effect at midnight. He said the closure would last 30 days and reiterated the news Trump shared that the border with Mexico would also close.
“The United States and Mexico have agreed to restrict nonessential travel across our border,” Pompeo said.
Pompeo wrote on Twitter Wednesday: “Spoke with #Mexico‘s Foreign Secretary @M_Ebrard about efforts to contain and mitigate #COVID19 through increased preventative measures. We will continue to work closely with Mexico on an effective, coordinated response and on securing our shared border.”
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said that essential travel includes medical purposes, to attend educational institutions, for emergency response/public health purposes and lawful cross-border trade.
“Tonight, at midnight, we will execute the CDC order by immediately returning individuals arriving without documentation to Canada, Mexico, as well as a number of other countries, without delay,” Wolf added.
Last week, the Trump Administration halted all travel between China, Iran, most European countries, England, and Ireland.