Trump Administration Says U.S. Border With Mexico To Close To Nonessential Travel

Trump administration officials say nonessential travel between the U.S. and Mexico will halt as of Saturday to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

"The United States and Mexico have agreed to restrict nonessential travel over our shared border," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters Friday.

This agreement is similar to the one announced earlier this week to partially close the U.S. border with Canada, he said.

The agreements with Canada and Mexico both go into effect on Saturday, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said.

Wolf said that essential travel that will still be allowed includes people traveling for medical reasons, education, emergency response, public health services and trade.

He said the restrictions do not apply to "lawful trade or commerce," and essential commercial activities will not be impacted.

Wolf added that an order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will "suspend the introduction of all individuals seeking to enter the U.S. without proper travel documentation."

Amnesty International is criticizing the border closure. "This is cruel, short-sighted, and opportunistic. Every person has the right to seek safety. Full stop," Charanya Krishnaswami, the group's advocacy director for the Americas, said in a statement. [Copyright 2020 NPR]