President Donald Trump won't shut down travel from America's coronavirus epicenters, so governors are doing it themselves - citing the White House as inspiration and bracing for constitutional challenges.
In rapid progression, four states have ordered 14-day quarantines for some or all travelers arriving from other states. While the orders from Texas, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Florida all vary in scope, each has little precedent and is legally questionable, according to legal experts. And the decisions have also raised questions about why Trump didn't just act himself, after mulling the option earlier this month. Some governors have pressed Trump to take such a step, given his more clear-cut - and arguably more effective - emergency powers to regulate travel between states in times of pandemic.
"I know this is unusual. I know it's extreme. And I know some people don't agree with it," Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, told reporters Friday as she announced her order, which quickly drew fire from civil liberties advocates.
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