Administration officials familiar with the internal discussions said some Trump administration officials want to stem the spread of covid-19 by reducing the hundreds of thousands of daily border crossings by U.S. citizens and green-card holders, many of whom reside in Mexico and work in the United States.

The Trump administration already has tried to ban nonessential travel across the border, but it has little ability to enforce measures that would bar Americans from entering. About 400,000 people continue to go back and forth each day, officials said, about half the pre-pandemic volume.

Blocking those U.S. citizens and permanent residents from returning would be an extraordinary step, but President Trump has long viewed border closures and travel restrictions as a demonstration of strength and executive prerogative. Trump has repeatedly pointed to his Jan. 31 order halting travel from China in defending his handling of the pandemic.

The difference now is that the United States has the world’s worst outbreak, with more than 5 million confirmed coronavirus cases. Medical experts …continued .
[Source: Washington Post]