U.S. Expels Thousands Using Public Health Rule
The Trump administration has expelled thousands of people to Mexico, citing a public health risk even as unauthorized border crossings drop dramatically at the Southwest border.
Customs and Border Protection expelled more than 6,300 people since the federal government activated a public health security provision March 21. Those include people seeking asylum and those include about 400 unaccompanied minors, according to the Reuters news agency.
Ariana Sawyer is a border researcher with Human Rights Watch, which has pressured the government to cease the expulsions.
"A lot of the migrant shelters that typically work with these populations have actually closed in their effort to prevent the COVID-19 virus from spreading," she said.
In March, CBP reports about 34,000 people were detained at the southwest border. Last year, agents encountered more than 100,000.
