President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered a temporary block on some foreigners from permanent residence in the United States, saying he wanted to protect American workers and jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, Trend reports citing Reuters.
The order, an election-year move likely to prove popular with his conservative base, is to last for 60 days and then will be reviewed and possibly extended. It is likely to face legal challenges.
Some critics saw Republican Trump’s announcement as a move to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis to implement a long-sought policy goal of barring more immigrants in line with his “America first” platform.
“In order to protect our great American workers I have just signed an executive order temporarily suspending immigration into the United States. This will ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs as our economy reopens,” Trump said at his daily news conference about the coronavirus at the White House.
He also said it will “preserve our healthcare resources for American patients” afflicted by the coronavirus.
Trump’s order could block more than 20,000 people per month from obtaining a green card of permanent residence, based on an analysis by the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute.