According to the New York Times, President Trump is looking to close the border to all immigrants including asylum seekers. Pro-immigration groups are wailing and moaning and they even call the move illegal, even though they know that’s a bold faced lie. The president has the power to keep immigrants out if he deems that their being in the United States could be a danger to the American people.
The short report does not explain the legal rationale for the decision, which puts a final closure on the much-diminished 2019 inflow from Central America. But Section 212(f) of the 1965 immigration act says:
Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.
Business groups strongly dislike this 212(f) rule, which can raise Americans’ wages by choking off the flow of blue-collar migrants into Americans’ workplaces during a growing economy.
The southern border will stay open for Americans, foreigners with proper documents, and for trade, the New York Times continued:
The administration officials said the ports of entry would remain open to American citizens, green-card holders and foreigners with proper documentation. Some foreigners would be blocked, including Europeans currently subject to earlier travel restrictions imposed by the administration. The points of entry will also be open to commercial traffic.
The New York Times‘ report was also silent about the northern border, which is open to many of the travelers from China who have been welcomed by the Canadian government during the last several weeks.
The report did not say if the government will curb the inflow of white-collar migrants — such as H-1B workers — to high-tech companies. The inflow likely helped spread the coronavirus through Washington state.