Trump Announces He Will Temporarily Suspend All Immigration To The US

OPINION | This article contains commentary which reflects the author's opinion.

By
Lawrence Richard
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President Trump announced in a late-night tweet that he would be temporarily suspending all immigration into the United States.

Citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Trump said he was stopping immigration “to protect the jobs of our great American citizens.”

Rather than going to Congress, Trump said he will be signing an executive order to ease the process of Americans getting back to work.

“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!” he tweeted.

On Tuesday morning, new White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany issued a follow-up statement clarifying the order.

Fox News reports:

The declaration came hours after U.S. equity markets plunged, with oil prices turning negative for the first time in history. Also on Monday, three states — Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina — revealed plans to begin reopening some businesses.

The precise contours of the president’s planned executive order were not immediately clear. The White House did not immediately elaborate on Trump’s tweeted announcement.

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Politico reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was still working out the details of the executive order, and that an exemption for temporary guest workers, including farm workers, was under consideration.

A top DHS official told the outlet that “22 million unemployed Americans and counting due to COVID-19″ had prompted Trump to act.

Due to the pandemic, almost all visa processing by the State Department, including immigrant visas, has been suspended for weeks.

In a series of tweets, Trump also addressed mainstream media and the fake news they sometimes peddle.

“Watched the first 5 minutes of poorly rated Morning Psycho on MSDNC just to see if he is as “nuts” as people are saying. He’s worse. Such hatred and contempt! I used to do his show all the time before the 2016 election, then cut him off. Wasn’t worth the effort, his mind is shot!”

“It is amazing that I became President of the United States with such a totally corrupt and dishonest Lamestream Media going after me all day, and all night. Either I’m really good, far better than the Fake News wants to admit, or they don’t have nearly the power as once thought!”

I’ve had great “ratings” my whole life, there’s nothing unusual about that for me. The White House News Conference ratings are “through the roof”

“But,” Trump added, noting he did “not care about that.”

“I care about going around the Fake News to the PEOPLE!” he concluded.