America’s Close Border Policy During COVID-19 Pandemic

White Paper on America’s Close Border Policy During COVID-19 Pandemic
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Executive summary
America's close border policy during the COVID-19 pandemic stopped immigrants from entering America to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection. This white paper uses factual details and analyzes how this close border policy has caused deleterious impacts on immigrants by exposing them to deadly infections, depriving them of shelters, and disallowing them to seek venues of economic prosperity. In this regard, this white paper also finds how this close border policy negatively impacted the American economy by depriving local businesses of low-wage labour and raw materials. However, the Biden administration’s renewal of border policy based on the principle of legal immigration endorses the effectiveness of the proposed open border policy for America. After using an individual case study, this white paper makes a strong case for the implementation of an open border policy. It provides recommendations and realistic and practical implementation strategies to accommodate immigrants usefully. In this way, this white paper evaluates the economic repercussions of border closure during the pandemic for America; besides, it provides an alternative and useful solution to resolve the issue of immigrant influx. Hence, this white paper is a useful factsheet to be considered by the Biden Administration.
Introduction
The term "open border" refers to a state policy that allows free or easy access to immigrants and asylum seekers to enter its territory. Since the United States is a signatory of the International Refugee Law, it is bound not to repatriate a refugee or asylum seeker forcibly (Blue et al., 2021). However, of late, the United States has reinforced and consolidated its closed border policies; the "close border" refers to the use of legal measures to keep immigrants and asylum seekers out of American territory. Moreover, it involves implementing excessive detention measures and rapid returns to those who manage to step on American soil (Blue et al., 2021). The U.S. close border policy became more practical and strict during Trump's tenure as President as he intensified legal ways to exclude asylum seekers using physical means (Blue et al., 2021). Trump's border policy was the epitome of strict implementation of restrictions on immigrants.
The COVID-19 pandemic further intensified the Trump administration's efforts to prevent entry of asylum seekers and immigrants as enforcement of Title 42 (coronavirus exclusion) policy. Accordingly, the CDC used the health emergency as a pretext to dismantle the asylum-seeking process and close the borders for immigrants for good (Blue et al., 2021). This policy is based on the conception that immigrants threaten national security, the healthcare system, and the economy. Between April 2020 and December 2020, American borders remained closed even for legal immigrants to protect the American economy and preserve the jobs of American citizens (Loweree et al., 2020).
However, this close border policy significantly damaged the American economy, especially during the pandemic...