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White House officials have been circulating a proposal that would give U.S. border authorities the extraordinary ability to block U.S. citizens and permanent residents from entering the country from Mexico if they are suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus, according to two administration officials and a person familiar with the plans. It is unclear whether the Trump administration has the legal authority to block citizens and permanent residents from returning to their own country, but one official said the administration is weighing a public health emergency declaration that would let the White House keep out potentially infected Americans. (Janes, Dennis, Miroff and Dawsey, 8/10)

Under the proposal, which relies on existing legal authorities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect the country, the government could block a citizen or legal resident from crossing the border into the United States if an official “reasonably believes that the individual either may have been exposed to or is infected with the communicable disease.” (Shear and Dickerson, 8/10)

Previous travel restrictions imposed by the administration during the pandemic have excluded US citizens and legal residents. For example, the US limited nonessential travel at land ports of entry with Canada and Mexico. Americans cross the borders regularly for a range of reasons, including work, attending school, visiting family and tourism. Any move targeting US citizens and lawful permanent residents, in particular, is likely to face legal challenges. In the wake of the Times report Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union immediately dubbed the move "unconstitutional." (Alvarez, 8/10)

Jacqui Slay, a 38-year-old stay-at-home mom of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, planned her family trip to Disney World in Florida a year ago. One month away from her scheduled tour in early September, she said she wasn't sure if she would go, citing recent record-high COVID-19 cases in Florida. “We’re kind of up in the air about it,” she said. Slay is one of many Americans who faces a travel dilemma during the COVID-19 pandemic: Is it worth the risk to travel and escape the monotony of quarantine life, or is it better to wait until the country has the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, more under control? (Zhang and Oliver, 8/10)