Essential Travel in a Time of Pandemic

On March 23, the US government began temporarily barring “nonessential” travel to the United States from Mexico and Canada, which raises the question of what makes one traveler’s need to move essential and another’s not? In making the announcement, Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf said that essential travel included travel for medical purposes, education, and trade: “We want to make sure cargo continues, trade continues, health care workers continue to traverse that border.” While allowing cargo and certain travelers, anyone crossing the border irregularly, including…

© Human Rights Watch - lundi 13 avril 2020