[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 185 (Wednesday, September 23, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 59669-59670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21020]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
19 CFR Chapter I
Notification of Temporary Travel Restrictions Applicable to Land
Ports of Entry and Ferries Service Between the United States and Mexico
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security.
ACTION: Notification of continuation of temporary travel restrictions.
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SUMMARY: This document announces the decision of the Secretary of
Homeland Security (Secretary) to continue to temporarily limit the
travel of individuals from Mexico into the United States at land ports
of entry along the United States-Mexico border. Such travel will be
limited to ``essential travel,'' as further defined in this document.
DATES: These restrictions go into effect at 12 a.m. Eastern Daylight
Time (EDT) on September 22, 2020 and will remain in effect until 11:59
p.m. EDT on October 21, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alyce Modesto, Office of Field
Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at 202-344-3788.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On March 24, 2020, DHS published notice of the Secretary's decision
to temporarily limit the travel of individuals from Mexico into the
United States at land ports of entry along the United States-Mexico
border to ``essential travel,'' as further defined in that document.\1\
The document described the developing circumstances regarding the
COVID-19 pandemic and stated that, given the outbreak and continued
transmission and spread of the virus associated with COVID-19 within
the United States and globally, the Secretary had determined that the
risk of continued transmission and spread of the virus associated with
COVID-19 between the United States and Mexico posed a ``specific threat
to human life or national interests.'' The Secretary later published a
series of notifications continuing such limitations on travel until
11:59 p.m. EDT on September 21, 2020.\2\
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\1\ 85 FR 16547 (Mar. 24, 2020). That same day, DHS also
published notice of the Secretary's decision to temporarily limit
the travel of individuals from Canada into the United States at land
ports of entry along the United States-Canada border to ``essential
travel,'' as further defined in that document. 85 FR 16548 (Mar. 24,
2020).
\2\ See 85 FR 51633 (Aug. 21, 2020); 85 FR 44183 (July 22,
2020); 85 FR 37745 (June 24, 2020); 85 FR 31057 (May 22, 2020); 85
FR 22353 (Apr. 22, 2020). DHS also published parallel notifications
of the Secretary's decisions to continue temporarily limiting the
travel of individuals from Canada into the United States at land
ports of entry along the United States-Canada border to ``essential
travel.'' See 85 FR 51634 (Aug. 21, 2020); 85 FR 44185 (July 22,
2020); 85 FR 37744 (June 24, 2020); 85 FR 31050 (May 22, 2020); 85
FR 22352 (Apr. 22, 2020).
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The Secretary has continued to monitor and respond to the COVID-19
pandemic. As of the week of September 13, there are over 28.6 million
confirmed cases globally, with over
[[Page 59670]]
917,000 confirmed deaths.\3\ There are over 6.5 million confirmed and
probable cases within the United States,\4\ over 135,000 confirmed
cases in Canada,\5\ and over 658,000 confirmed cases in Mexico.\6\
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\3\ WHO, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Weekly
Epidemiological Update (Sept. 13, 2020), available at https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200914-weekly-epi-update-5.pdf?sfvrsn=cf929d04_2.
\4\ CDC, COVID Data Tracker (last updated Sept. 16, 2020),
available at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/.
\5\ WHO, COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update (Sept. 13,
2020).
\6\ Id.
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Notice of Action
Given the outbreak and continued transmission and spread of COVID-
19 within the United States and globally, the Secretary has determined
that the risk of continued transmission and spread of the virus
associated with COVID-19 between the United States and Mexico poses an
ongoing ``specific threat to human life or national interests.''
U.S. and Mexican officials have mutually determined that non-
essential travel between the United States and Mexico poses additional
risk of transmission and spread of the virus associated with COVID-19
and places the populace of both nations at increased risk of
contracting the virus associated with COVID-19. Moreover, given the
sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus, returning to
previous levels of travel between the two nations places the personnel
staffing land ports of entry between the United States and Mexico, as
well as the individuals traveling through these ports of entry, at
increased risk of exposure to the virus associated with COVID-19.
Accordingly, and consistent with the authority granted in 19 U.S.C.
1318(b)(1)(C) and (b)(2),\7\ I have determined that land ports of entry
along the U.S.-Mexico border will continue to suspend normal operations
and will only allow processing for entry into the United States of
those travelers engaged in ``essential travel,'' as defined below.
Given the definition of ``essential travel'' below, this temporary
alteration in land ports of entry operations should not interrupt
legitimate trade between the two nations or disrupt critical supply
chains that ensure food, fuel, medicine, and other critical materials
reach individuals on both sides of the border.
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\7\ 19 U.S.C. 1318(b)(1)(C) provides that ``[n]otwithstanding
any other provision of law, the Secretary of the Treasury, when
necessary to respond to a national emergency declared under the
National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) or to a specific
threat to human life or national interests,'' is authorized to
``[t]ake any . . . action that may be necessary to respond directly
to the national emergency or specific threat.'' On March 1, 2003,
certain functions of the Secretary of the Treasury were transferred
to the Secretary of Homeland Security. See 6 U.S.C. 202(2), 203(1).
Under 6 U.S.C. 212(a)(1), authorities ``related to Customs revenue
functions'' were reserved to the Secretary of the Treasury. To the
extent that any authority under section 1318(b)(1) was reserved to
the Secretary of the Treasury, it has been delegated to the
Secretary of Homeland Security. See Treas. Dep't Order No. 100-16
(May 15, 2003), 68 FR 28322 (May 23, 2003). Additionally, 19 U.S.C.
1318(b)(2) provides that ``[n]otwithstanding any other provision of
law, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, when
necessary to respond to a specific threat to human life or national
interests, is authorized to close temporarily any Customs office or
port of entry or take any other lesser action that may be necessary
to respond to the specific threat.'' Congress has vested in the
Secretary of Homeland Security the ``functions of all officers,
employees, and organizational units of the Department,'' including
the Commissioner of CBP. 6 U.S.C. 112(a)(3).
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For purposes of the temporary alteration in certain designated
ports of entry operations authorized under 19 U.S.C. 1318(b)(1)(C) and
(b)(2), travel through the land ports of entry and ferry terminals
along the United States-Mexico border shall be limited to ``essential
travel,'' which includes, but is not limited to--
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to
the United States;
Individuals traveling for medical purposes (e.g., to
receive medical treatment in the United States);
Individuals traveling to attend educational institutions;
Individuals traveling to work in the United States (e.g.,
individuals working in the farming or agriculture industry who must
travel between the United States and Mexico in furtherance of such
work);
Individuals traveling for emergency response and public
health purposes (e.g., government officials or emergency responders
entering the United States to support federal, state, local, tribal, or
territorial government efforts to respond to COVID-19 or other
emergencies);
Individuals engaged in lawful cross-border trade (e.g.,
truck drivers supporting the movement of cargo between the United
States and Mexico);
Individuals engaged in official government travel or
diplomatic travel;
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the spouses and
children of members of the U.S. Armed Forces, returning to the United
States; and
Individuals engaged in military-related travel or
operations.
The following travel does not fall within the definition of
``essential travel'' for purposes of this Notification--
Individuals traveling for tourism purposes (e.g.,
sightseeing, recreation, gambling, or attending cultural events).
At this time, this Notification does not apply to air, freight
rail, or sea travel between the United States and Mexico, but does
apply to passenger rail, passenger ferry travel, and pleasure boat
travel between the United States and Mexico. These restrictions are
temporary in nature and shall remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. EDT on
October 21, 2020. This Notification may be amended or rescinded prior
to that time, based on circumstances associated with the specific
threat.
The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is
hereby directed to prepare and distribute appropriate guidance to CBP
personnel on the continued implementation of the temporary measures set
forth in this Notification. The CBP Commissioner may determine that
other forms of travel, such as travel in furtherance of economic
stability or social order, constitute ``essential travel'' under this
Notification. Further, the CBP Commissioner may, on an individualized
basis and for humanitarian reasons or for other purposes in the
national interest, permit the processing of travelers to the United
States not engaged in ``essential travel.''
The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Chad F. Wolf, having
reviewed and approved this document, is delegating the authority to
electronically sign this document to Chad R. Mizelle, who is the Senior
Official Performing the Duties of the General Counsel for DHS, for
purposes of publication in the Federal Register.
Chad R. Mizelle,
Senior Official Performing the Duties of the General Counsel, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2020-21020 Filed 9-21-20; 8:45 am]
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