A few cars head south to cross from San Diego into Tijuana, Mexico, through what is normally one of the world’s busiest land border crossings, Thursday, March 19, 2020, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:59 AM PT — Friday, March 20, 2020
Officials in the U.S. and Mexico announced they are closing the southern border to ‘non-essential travel.’ However, trade is set to continue.
During Friday’s White House coronavirus task force briefing, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said both countries agreed to restrict the border while “keeping commerce flowing.” The State Department chief said the U.S. is “glad to have a friend working side-by-side” in the fight against the coronavirus.
#Mexico Foreign Secretary @m_ebrard and I have been working closely on travel restrictions that balance protecting our citizens from further transmission of #COVID19. Together, we can reduce public health risks and prioritize essential cross-border commerce and trade.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) March 20, 2020
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said, per a CDC order, all individuals without legitimate travel documentation will be turned away at the border.
“Our nation’s top health care are extremely concerned about the grave public health consequences of mass, uncontrolled cross-border movement,” he explained. “Every week our border agents encounter thousands of unscreened, unvetted and unauthorized entries from dozens of countries.”
President Donald Trump listens as Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf speaks during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House, Friday, March 20, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The came after President Trump on Wednesday said the U.S. and Canada agreed to close the border to ‘non-essential travel.’ He noted that trade will not be affected.
The U.S. & Canada are working closely together & suspending all non-essential travel across our northern border to help control the spread of coronavirus. Essential commercial trade/travel & commerce will NOT be impacted. We will maintain a secure & strong economic supply chain.
— Acting Secretary Chad Wolf (@DHS_Wolf) March 18, 2020
