On Monday evening, President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that he will suspend all immigration into the United States.
Trump’s tweet says that he plans to ban immigration into the US because of an attack from an invisible enemy.
“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.”
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
He had previously restricted travel from Europe and China in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. At this time, it is unclear whether the ban will prevent non-U.S. citizens from traveling to the United States to visit family or conduct business.
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A senior administration official told NBCNews that the move “had been under consideration for a while.” They also said that Trump believes he is winning the fight against COVID-19. He also thinks it is important to stop the spread of the virus by protecting the borders.
The administration official also said that he expects that the executive order could be signed as early as this week. We don’t yet know if a draft is in the works.
An immigration ban would continue the existing effort already in place, with the U.S.-Canada border already being shut down. Asylum seekers and other migrants are also being deported on the southern border without due process.
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The president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, believes that the Trump administration is going too far when it comes to the immigration ban.
“The implication is that immigrants are a threat to the American economy, but we know the exact opposite to be true. While immigrants across America are on the front lines risking their lives to save ours, it is simply unconscionable to scapegoat immigrants for this pandemic.”
Immigrants have stepped up to fill many local job opportunities during the virus outbreak.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif, also criticized Trump for taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to push immigration policies.
“Trump failed to take this crisis seriously from day 1. His abandonment of his role as president has cost lives. And now, he’s shamelessly politicizing this pandemic to double down on his anti-immigration agenda.”
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