(Photo: Reuters)

President Donald Trump has extended the powers of the U.S. Border Patrol in the implementation of the immediate return of immigrants under an emergency coronavirus policy, according to U.S. officials. This order has since increased deportation.

The Department of Homeland Security reported Monday that illegal immigration has plummeted by 60 percent at the U.S.-Mexico border during the pandemic.

Illegal Immigration Decreases by 60%

Unauthorized border crossings have gone down due to the emergency measures. Before these measurements were implemented, 10,000 migrants tried to enter illegally. A little over a week ago, it was less than half of that number.

According to Border Patrol records, about 60 percent of those arrested for illegal immigration were Mexican nationals. Migrants from the Northern Triangle regions comprised 26 percent.

In an attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the government's mandate is to turn back all migrants trying to cross the border.

Director for Defense Oversight of WOLA Adam Isacson criticized this expulsion of migrants. He claims that they must be given a chance to apply for asylum.

He wrote a lengthy article regarding the Trump administration's policies that functioned against the needs of the immigrants.

"Turning back threatened people, a basic human rights violation known as 'refoulement,' is a direct violation of the Refugee Act of 1980," Isacson says.

In response to this, U.S. officials assert that returning the immigrants to their countries was crucial to curbing illegal immigration, adding that preventing their entry is for their safety amidst this pandemic. The CBP holding facilities were simply not ideal for keeping immunocompromised people.

Apart from the refoulement of the immigrants, Isacson also criticized the construction of the wall at the borders.

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Building a Secure Border

Fortunately, for this administration, the wall at the U.S. - Mexico border remains a priority at this time. Not to mention the importance of keeping as many Americans employed as possible.

Isacson wrote about the government's decision to continue building the wall. "Wall construction is a robust potential disease vector, and the administration refuses to cut it off." 

The danger lies in the contractors going to work from home every day for the duration of the construction.

Meanwhile, similar concerns were raised by residents in New Mexico about the workers at the construction site of the U.S. - Mexico border wall. In New Mexico, public health orders are to treat infrastructure operations as exemptions from the stay-at-home restrictions.

Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales argues that the health system must remain a priority during the coronavirus crisis. "The national emergency right now is not building the border wall." 

Between March 20 and April 3, nine miles of the wall was completed, according to Customs and Border Protection. A Newsweek spokesperson says that 197 miles are currently under construction. The Trump administration is determined to finish the 450-mile wall by 2021.