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| Rhode Island Pulls Over New Yorkers to Keep the Virus at Bay | Rhode Island Pulls Over New Yorkers to Keep the Virus at Bay |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Police officers were watching Rhode Island’s highways, bridges and bus stops. National Guard troops were trudging through resort towns with clipboards, knocking on doors. They were all hunting for fleeing New Yorkers and their telltale Empire State license plates. | Police officers were watching Rhode Island’s highways, bridges and bus stops. National Guard troops were trudging through resort towns with clipboards, knocking on doors. They were all hunting for fleeing New Yorkers and their telltale Empire State license plates. |
| The states are increasingly finding themselves pitted against one another, as they bid for scarce medical equipment, angle for federal aid and demand that nonresidents self-quarantine. | The states are increasingly finding themselves pitted against one another, as they bid for scarce medical equipment, angle for federal aid and demand that nonresidents self-quarantine. |
| Few, though, have gone yet to the lengths Rhode Island has to try to keep the potentially infected at bay, especially those from New York, the biggest hot spot in the country. | Few, though, have gone yet to the lengths Rhode Island has to try to keep the potentially infected at bay, especially those from New York, the biggest hot spot in the country. |
| Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, said on Friday that if New Yorkers entering the state did not quarantine themselves for 14 days after arrival, they would be fined and, if they continued to flout the order, arrested. | Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, said on Friday that if New Yorkers entering the state did not quarantine themselves for 14 days after arrival, they would be fined and, if they continued to flout the order, arrested. |
| “That’s a law — that’s an order,” Ms. Raimondo said. “It comes with penalties. It’s not a suggestion.” | “That’s a law — that’s an order,” Ms. Raimondo said. “It comes with penalties. It’s not a suggestion.” |
| She sent troops and police officers to the main highways entering the state, as well as to Amtrak stations and the main airport, to stop and warn people coming from New York State about the quarantine order. And on Saturday, she extended the order to cover travelers from any state. | She sent troops and police officers to the main highways entering the state, as well as to Amtrak stations and the main airport, to stop and warn people coming from New York State about the quarantine order. And on Saturday, she extended the order to cover travelers from any state. |
| She was not alone in establishing checkpoints to stop travelers from places where the virus is widespread. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, said on Saturday that his administration would try to set up a checkpoint on Interstate 95 near the Georgia border to stop drivers from the New York area and tell them they had to quarantine themselves for two weeks. | She was not alone in establishing checkpoints to stop travelers from places where the virus is widespread. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, said on Saturday that his administration would try to set up a checkpoint on Interstate 95 near the Georgia border to stop drivers from the New York area and tell them they had to quarantine themselves for two weeks. |
| “It’s not fair to the people of Florida” that outsiders keep coming in, Governor DeSantis said. “It would make it a lot easier if we didn’t have folks coming in from hot zones where they may be very well carrying the virus.” | “It’s not fair to the people of Florida” that outsiders keep coming in, Governor DeSantis said. “It would make it a lot easier if we didn’t have folks coming in from hot zones where they may be very well carrying the virus.” |
| On Friday, Mr. DeSantis extended his quarantine order to cover travelers from Louisiana as well, and authorized highway checkpoints in the Panhandle to intercept and warn them. | On Friday, Mr. DeSantis extended his quarantine order to cover travelers from Louisiana as well, and authorized highway checkpoints in the Panhandle to intercept and warn them. |
| President Trump said on Saturday that concerns raised by states like Rhode Island and Florida about travelers from New York City had prompted him to consider imposing a federal quarantine of New York, New Jersey and part of Connecticut. He later backed off the idea. | President Trump said on Saturday that concerns raised by states like Rhode Island and Florida about travelers from New York City had prompted him to consider imposing a federal quarantine of New York, New Jersey and part of Connecticut. He later backed off the idea. |
| Legal experts said that states were on shaky ground pulling people over just for their license plates. And Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Saturday that Rhode Island’s action was “at the point of absurdity.” | Legal experts said that states were on shaky ground pulling people over just for their license plates. And Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Saturday that Rhode Island’s action was “at the point of absurdity.” |
| “If they don’t roll back that policy, I’m going to sue Rhode Island, because that clearly is unconstitutional,” Governor Cuomo said on CNN, though he added that he didn’t think it would come to that. “We’ll work it out amicably, I’m sure,” he said. | “If they don’t roll back that policy, I’m going to sue Rhode Island, because that clearly is unconstitutional,” Governor Cuomo said on CNN, though he added that he didn’t think it would come to that. “We’ll work it out amicably, I’m sure,” he said. |
| Even so, Rhode Island’s measures were welcomed by many “year-rounders” who live in the state’s summer resort communities near the Connecticut border. They have been growing increasingly frustrated with an influx of New Yorkers fleeing the city to second homes and rental properties in the area, and possibly bringing the virus with them. | Even so, Rhode Island’s measures were welcomed by many “year-rounders” who live in the state’s summer resort communities near the Connecticut border. They have been growing increasingly frustrated with an influx of New Yorkers fleeing the city to second homes and rental properties in the area, and possibly bringing the virus with them. |
| Local residents have been posting videos and photographs in local Facebook groups of cars with New York tags being pulled over. | Local residents have been posting videos and photographs in local Facebook groups of cars with New York tags being pulled over. |
| John Austin witnessed a stop on Friday in Westerly, a town of about 23,000 in the corner of the state nearest to New York, when a trooper’s flashing lights followed a driver into the parking lot of Sandy’s Fine Food Emporium, where Mr. Austin is the store manager. | John Austin witnessed a stop on Friday in Westerly, a town of about 23,000 in the corner of the state nearest to New York, when a trooper’s flashing lights followed a driver into the parking lot of Sandy’s Fine Food Emporium, where Mr. Austin is the store manager. |
| “It is live, and it is happening,” Mr. Austin said. “It’s happening in our backyard.” | “It is live, and it is happening,” Mr. Austin said. “It’s happening in our backyard.” |
| He said that police officers were stationed all along Route 78 from the state line at the Pawcatuck River to his store. “It’s not easy for any one of us,” he said. “Let’s pray for a resolution quick.” | He said that police officers were stationed all along Route 78 from the state line at the Pawcatuck River to his store. “It’s not easy for any one of us,” he said. “Let’s pray for a resolution quick.” |
| Updated July 23, 2020 | |
| When the police officers stop New Yorkers or find them in their summer homes, they hand out copies of the governor’s executive order and collect contact information. Any who manage to avoid the officers may face another penalty: public shaming. | When the police officers stop New Yorkers or find them in their summer homes, they hand out copies of the governor’s executive order and collect contact information. Any who manage to avoid the officers may face another penalty: public shaming. |
| “Leaving Walmart filled to the top,” one woman seethed in a posting to a local Facebook group, alongside photos of a Volkswagen with New York plates and a trunk loaded with paper towels. Another woman responded, “They need to go home!” | “Leaving Walmart filled to the top,” one woman seethed in a posting to a local Facebook group, alongside photos of a Volkswagen with New York plates and a trunk loaded with paper towels. Another woman responded, “They need to go home!” |
| Nearly half of the country’s more than 119,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in New York State, in part because of widespread testing there. Rhode Island, the smallest state by area, had 239 cases on Saturday evening, and had reported its first two deaths. | Nearly half of the country’s more than 119,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in New York State, in part because of widespread testing there. Rhode Island, the smallest state by area, had 239 cases on Saturday evening, and had reported its first two deaths. |
| Texas, Maryland and South Carolina are among other states that have ordered people arriving from New York to self-quarantine. In Texas, for instance, the Department of Public Safety said Friday that its agents would make surprise visits to see whether travelers were adhering to the state’s mandate, and they warned that violators could be fined $1,000 and jailed for up to 180 days. | Texas, Maryland and South Carolina are among other states that have ordered people arriving from New York to self-quarantine. In Texas, for instance, the Department of Public Safety said Friday that its agents would make surprise visits to see whether travelers were adhering to the state’s mandate, and they warned that violators could be fined $1,000 and jailed for up to 180 days. |
| The orders have not come without controversy: Steven Brown, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, said outright that the police stops in that state were unconstitutional. | The orders have not come without controversy: Steven Brown, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, said outright that the police stops in that state were unconstitutional. |
| “Under the Fourth Amendment, having a New York state license plate simply does not, and cannot, constitute ‘probable cause’ to allow police to stop a car and interrogate the driver, no matter how laudable the goal of the stop may be,” Mr. Brown said in a statement. | “Under the Fourth Amendment, having a New York state license plate simply does not, and cannot, constitute ‘probable cause’ to allow police to stop a car and interrogate the driver, no matter how laudable the goal of the stop may be,” Mr. Brown said in a statement. |
| Lawrence O. Gostin, the chair of global health law at Georgetown University, agreed that the directive appeared “too arbitrary and capricious” to be upheld by a judge. License plates were far from foolproof indicators of whether someone had been exposed to the virus, he noted. | Lawrence O. Gostin, the chair of global health law at Georgetown University, agreed that the directive appeared “too arbitrary and capricious” to be upheld by a judge. License plates were far from foolproof indicators of whether someone had been exposed to the virus, he noted. |
| The legal principle barring states from treating residents of other states differently from its own citizens is one of the oldest in the country, rooted in the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the Constitution. That clause forbids discrimination based on state residence in most cases, underpinning the right of unfettered interstate travel. | The legal principle barring states from treating residents of other states differently from its own citizens is one of the oldest in the country, rooted in the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the Constitution. That clause forbids discrimination based on state residence in most cases, underpinning the right of unfettered interstate travel. |
| Neil MacFarquhar, Patricia Mazzei and Alan Blinder contributed reporting. | Neil MacFarquhar, Patricia Mazzei and Alan Blinder contributed reporting. |