The recent move to expel 10,000 asylum seekers from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) facilities at the U.S.-Mexico border is no act of generosity. These individuals, families and children have left violence and poverty behind them and furtively travelled thousands of miles seeking safety and opportunity in the U.S. For them, there is no way forward, and no way back.

Recently, President Trump issued an executive order to ban immigration to the United States for 60 days, particularly for foreign nationals seeking permanent residence. The order, which was in part intended to protect “American” jobs from immigrants, does nothing to prevent COVID-19, and may actually be detrimental for the economy, adding to the list of migration restrictions made under the guise of public health response.