United States President Donald Trump emphasized that his forthcoming executive order barring new immigration will only focus on people seeking green cards and not those who want to enter the country temporarily.
Sharing the details of the safety measure for the first time since tweeting it on Monday, Trump announced that he will be suspending immigration into the United States amidst the COVID-19 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! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020
He also said at the provision would amount to a pause for 60 days only on people seeking permanent residency in the United States.
As the executive order still in writing, Trump estimated that he will be signing it on Wednesday after he will review the executive order and will decide if it should be renewed.
The suggested executive order will have an economic impact as per Trump as it focuses more on protecting American workers but he also shared that it will have certain exemptions.
Moreover, Trump shared that by pausing immigration, it will help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as they reopen the American economy.
The exemptions will be detailed in less than two days. An administration official shared that the order addresses green cardholders because the temporary work visa portion is more complicated. It also needs more time to sort out, given the fact that many of those currently in the United States on work visas are working in industries related to the global outbreak, from health care workers to food processing plants.
Details of the plan were murky before Trumps' Tuesday briefing. Some aides from the White House shared that there was not a great deal or any clarity on how the order would come together in pieces. But a person familiar with the said matter disclose that officials of Trumps' administration began working around the middle of last week solidifying the executive order in restricting immigration after the president privately raised the matter with his aides.
Even before disclosing and providing specific details about the possible move and his reelection campaign, Trump and his allies were already touting and defending the order as they reflect on the political underpinnings of Trump's Monday announcement.
Trump administration's move could be symbolic, given the restrictions on immigration already imposed due to the outstanding travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,. It will allow Trump and his campaign to strike directly at the immigration issue, which he believes that it won him the election in 2016 and now he hopes to use it again in 2020.
While the order focuses on prioritizing Americans on the job openings this coming economic reopening, it will largely affect tens of thousands of people waiting to immigrate to the United States. Some of them have family members of U. S. citizens. According to the numbers gathered by the Department of Homeland and Security approximately 459,000 foreign nationals who arrived in the country in 2019 became green card holders which are 13% lower from arrivals in 2018.
Trump's administration was urged by the Immigration hardliners to reduce the flow of immigration to the United States.
