Almost all visa processing by the State Department has been suspended for weeks.
Travel to the U.S. has been restricted from much of the globe, including China, Europe, Mexico and Canada. And Trump has used the virus to effectively end asylum at U.S. borders, turning away even children who arrive by themselves — something Congress, the courts and international law hadn’t previously allowed.
Criticism to his new announcement was swift, especially the timing during the pandemic. Ali Noorani, president of the National Immigration Forum, noted that thousands of foreign-born health care workers are currently treating people with COVID-19 and working in critical sectors of the economy.
Trump’s call “ignores the reality of our situation,” he said. “The fact is that immigrants are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. citizens on the front lines helping us get through this pandemic.”
Andrea Flores of the American Civil Liberties Union said, “Unfortunately, President Trump seems more interested in fanning anti-immigrant flames than in saving lives.”
Trump has often pivoted to his signature issue of immigration when he’s under criticism. It’s an issue he believes helped him win the 2016 election and one that continues to animate his loyal base of supporters heading into what is expected to be a brutal reelection fight.
Trump also has been using the crisis to push many of his long-standing, stalled priorities, including moving manufacturing from China to the U.S.
In a statement, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany described the order as aimed at protecting both the “health and economic well-being of American citizens as we face unprecedented times.”
“At a time when Americans are looking to get back to work, action is necessary,” she said without offering details on what programs the order might cover and when it might be signed.
Though travel restrictions around the globe have dramatically reduced immigration, Trump could use his executive authority to restrict it further, including slashing the number of foreign workers allowed to take seasonal jobs around the country. Before the outbreak, the administration had planned to increased the number of H-2B visas, but the Department of Homeland Security put that increase on indefinite hold in early April.
