Trump weighs blocking U.S. citizens coming home who may have COVID-19

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a measure to block U.S. citizens and permanent residents from returning home if they are suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus, a senior U.S. official confirmed to Reuters.

The official said a draft regulation, which has not been finalized and could change, would give the government authorization to block individuals who could "reasonably" be believed to have contracted COVID-19 or other diseases.

Trump has instituted a series of sweeping immigration restrictions since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, suspending some legal immigration and allowing U.S. border authorities to rapidly deport migrants caught at the border without standard legal procedures.

Reuters reported in May that the U.S. government officials were concerned that dual U.S.-Mexico citizens might flee to the United States if the coronavirus outbreak in Mexico worsened, putting more stress on U.S. hospitals.

People walk toward the U.S. on the international bridge as efforts to try to slow the spread of COVID-19 continue at the U.S.-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, U.S., May 21, 2020. /Reuters

The draft regulation, which was first reported by The New York Times on Monday, would be issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has played a lead role in the pandemic response, the senior official told Reuters.

A Trump pandemic task force was not expected to act on the proposal this week, although that timeline could change, the official said.

Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's immigrants' rights project, said in a written statement that barring U.S. citizens from entering the country would be unconstitutional and "another grave error in a year that has already seen far too many."

The U.S. has so far exceeded five million infections and recorded over 165,000 deaths – both totals are the highest of any country in the world.

(REUTERS)