Several national newspapers and Mexican television channels refer to US sources even though there seem to be no official statements on the matter from the White House and the State Department.

They clarified in this regard that the decision is not final yet, but if applied, the use of public health reasons, taken as a justification by the United States to evade its obligations, under national laws and international treaties, to grant asylum to victims of persecution, would end.

Newspapers such as Milenio, Excelsior and others stated that lifting those limitations in May would give border agents time to prepare.

However, the delay remains unacceptable to some Democrats and activists, who say the United States is using the pandemic as an excuse to evade its asylum obligations.

The decision, on the other hand, raises the possibility that more migrants will try to cross the border at a time when the number of migrants there is already high.

The Department of Homeland Security reported on Tuesday that some 7,100 migrants are trying to cross each day, compared with an average of 5,900 in February and a number that is on track to equal or exceed records set in previous years.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended the decision to block nursing homes for another two months in late January. The decision would have to be renewed this week, but the government is yet to make a final decision and an announcement is expected in the coming days.

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