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☆ The First Time An American President Has Made Such A Pronouncement
President Donald Trump announced late Monday that he will sign 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!” Trump wrote in a Twitter post.
Trump has mentioned the term “invisible enemy” on numerous occasions during press briefings related to the pandemic caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus.
The United States has already suspended most travel from China, South Korea, Iran, and Europe. In mid-March, the country suspended all routine visa services, for both incoming and outgoing travel, for most countries due to the CCP virus pandemic. It is not immediately clear what immigration programs will be affected by Trump’s eventual order.
“It makes sense to protect opportunities for our workforce while this pandemic plays out,” said Thomas Homan, Trump’s former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Reuters reported.
“It’s really not about immigration. It’s about the pandemic and keeping our country safer while protecting opportunities for unemployed Americans.” The President’s announcement comes as the United States, Canada, and Mexico moved to extended their own CCP virus-related travel restrictions for another month.
The announcement also comes as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services amended certain requirements for the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers visa to help American agricultural employers maintain enough migrant labor to keep the country’s food supply chains moving.
“Under this temporary final rule, all H-2A petitioners with a valid temporary labor certification can now start employing certain foreign workers who are currently in the United States and in valid H-2A status immediately after USCIS receives the H-2A petition, but no earlier than the start date of employment listed on the petition,” the USCIS announced.
“Additionally, USCIS is temporarily amending its regulations to allow H-2A workers to stay beyond the three-year maximum allowable period of stay in the United States.
“These temporary changes will encourage and facilitate the lawful employment of foreign temporary and seasonal agriculture workers during the COVID-19 national emergency,” the agency said.
More than 786,000 people have contracted the CCP virus in the United States, resulting in more than 42,000 COVID-19 deaths.
Dozens of governors have issued stay-at-home orders to prevent further infections, although Trump on April 16 said that the country would now be moving into the next phase of managing the virus. He announced the “Opening Up America Again Congressional Group,” a panel dedicated to reopening the U.S. economy.
More than 20 million Americans have filed for unemployment insurance as businesses across the country have been forced to close.
SOURCE:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-to-suspend-immigration-into-us-temporarily_3320032.html
