Trump Temporarily Freezes Immigration

President Trump announced plans to freeze all immigration to the U.S. on Monday. He cited the need to protect American jobs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

He announced the move in a Monday night tweet. “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,” Trump tweeted. Mr. Trump didn’t outline the specifics of the planned executive order. Additionally, the White House hasn’t elaborated on the announcement as of yet.

According to Politico, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was still working out the mechanics of the executive order. The publication reports that possible exemptions for temporary guest workers are being considered. An unnamed high-ranking DHS official told Politico that “22 million unemployed Americans and counting due to COVID-19” was the primary reason that President Trump decided to take action.

Immigration Freeze

Since the pandemic broke out in the U.S., the government has placed on international travel and visa processing has come to a virtual halt. The U.S. has already restricted nonessential travel across the Mexican and Canadian borders. Additionally, the North American neighbors recently agreed to extend those restrictions through the middle of May. The government also instituted total travel bans against major virus hotspots, including Iran, South Korea, China, and most of Europe. So far, temporary work visas, emergency personnel, and business/student travelers have been exempted from the bans.

Experts believe the president’s early action to restrict travel may have saved thousands of American lives. The outbreak is beginning to taper off in some U.S. hot spots, and at least three states – Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina – have unveiled plans to begin reopening businesses. Despite the progress, the country still has a long way to go, and President Trump’s executive order is another precaution to ensure the U.S. outbreak doesn’t reignite.

The U.S. government says it will continue to quickly expel any unlawful migrants found along the Mexican border for at least the next month. Since the policy changes were instituted, U.S. Border Patrol data indicates that roughly 10,000 migrants had returned to Mexico.

Reactions

In Washington, the president’s announcement drew both praise and criticism from lawmakers.

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, whose state is a well-known hotbed of illegal immigration, is supportive of the executive order and even went as far as to say the ban should be continued indefinitely. He released a tweet praising the order. “Thank you, @realDonaldTrump!” he wrote. “All immigration to the United States should halt until every American who wants a job has one!.”

Unsurprisingly, the left was quick to condemn the move. Presidential washout Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) tweeted that “Trump failed to take this crisis seriously from day 1.” She went on to accuse the president of “shamelessly politicizing the pandemic to double down on his anti-immigrant agenda.”

It’s an interesting critique coming from a representative of a party who just weeks ago used congressional approval of a coronavirus relief bill as a bargaining chip to push so-called progressive policies. In March, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) called the coronavirus relief bill a “tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.”

President Trump continues to act in the best interests of the American people, despite constant badgering from the left. The temporary immigration freeze will lessen the burden on U.S. courts and reduce the chances of another outbreak.

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