“In order to protect our great American workers I’ve just signed an executive order temporarily suspending immigration into the United States,” Trump said Wednesday evening at a White House press conference. “This will ensure unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs as our economy reopens. Crucially it will also preserve our health care resources for American patients.”
The president’s order will only apply to foreign nationals on foreign soil seeking residency in the U.S., and will not affect those who currently have valid visas or travel documents. It also exempts individuals seeking to permanently enter the country as a medical professional or researcher, as well as members of the armed forces, those seeking asylum or refugee status, and children being adopted by American parents.
While the order only halts the issuing of green cards for the next 60 days, Trump indicated it could be expanded in the future. The document requires the heads of the Department of Homeland Security, State Department, and Department of Labor to make a recommendation on extending or terminating the restrictions at least 10 days before they expire. It also calls on the Labor and Homeland Security secretaries to review and recommend additional measures within the next month.
It also suggests that the president was skeptical of some employment-based visas and could expand the scope of the restrictions.
“While some employment-based visas contain a labor certification requirement, because visa issuance happens substantially after the certification is completed, the labor certification process cannot adequately capture the status of the labor market today,” the order said.
The State Department last month temporarily suspended routine visa services at embassies and consulates.
Trump sidestepped a question about whether the order would apply beyond green card holders during a press conference on Wednesday evening, simply describing the measure as “strong” and saying it could be expanded or curtailed in the future.
”As to amending it or extending it, that we can do at the appropriate time, but it’s now signed,” Trump said.
The president did say there would be carve-outs for migrant agricultural workers, and promised Tuesday to make it even easier for farmers rebounding from the coronavirus crisis to hire labor from other countries.
The order had been expected since Trump tweeted late Monday night that he planned to “temporarily suspend immigration into the United States.”
His tweet caught businesses, farmers, and even some White House aides by surprise, and came before lawyers on the president’s team had finished drafting the executive order. Critics of the administration said that the move would make it harder for families impacted by the coronavirus to reunite and disrupt attempts by businesses to employ critical workers. (Excerpted from Bloomberg)
