President Donald Trump has announced that he will sign an executive order to “temporarily” ban immigration to the United States due to the “attack from the Invisible Enemy,” a phrase he frequently uses to describe the coronavirus pandemic.
“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!” he tweeted.
New York Times reported that the order will temporarily block the issuance of new green cards and work visas with exemptions for some workers in essential fields, such as health care and farm work, for about 60 days.
Tahk the Talk has learned that nearly all visa processing by the state department has already been placed on hold, including immigrant visas, with asylum claims in effect suspended and thousands abruptly sent back to Mexico without due process. Democratic congressman Don Beyer calls the move “xenophobic scapegoating.”
The threat came as COVID-19 cases surpassed 2.5 million and the death toll from the virus surpassed 170,000 worldwide, sending economies into a tailspin as governments anxiously try to chart out a path to combat the crisis.
Trump claims temporarily halting immigration to the US would save American jobs – some 22 million of which have been lost due to the pandemic.
Update: On Tuesday, Trump said the ban will only apply to people seeking permnent resident status and not to workers enetring the US on a temporary basis.
Brielle 