COVID-19: Trump Administration Plans Immigration Restrictions
President Trump has announced plans to impose new restrictions on immigration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The president signaled the intention to suspend immigration into the country in a tweet late Monday night.
In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020
In the tweet, Pres. Trump dubbed the coronavirus “the Invisible Enemy.”
According to an administration official, the executive order is in the drafting phase, with plans for Trump to sign it within the week. The order is expected to halt new green cards and visas from being issued for an as-yet-undetermined period of time. Early reports suggest a 120-day halt on new green cards and visas. According to some outlets, many of these restrictions had been in place prior to the spread of COVID-19.
In a statement to the press on Tuesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “President Trump is committed to protecting the health and economic well-being of American citizens as we face unprecedented times. As President Trump has said, ‘Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African American and Latino workers.’ At a time when Americans are looking to get back to work, action is necessary.”
In an appearance on “Justice with Judge Jeanine”, McEnany claimed that “not a single American has died from lack of a ventilator” due to Pres. Trump’s response measures.