Trump suspends immigration to protect America against 'attack from the Invisible Enemy'

21 April 2020, 06:17

Donald Trump to suspend immigration into the USA

EJ Ward

By EJ Ward

US President Donald Trump has announced he will ban all immigration to the United States to fight the "Invisible Enemy of Covid-19 in order to protect American jobs.

The President announced on Twitter his plans to use an Executive Order to temporarily shut down US borders in order to help fight the spread of coronavirus.

Mr Trump tweeted: "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!"

The President did not make it immediately clear which immigration programmes might be affected and whether the President would be able to carry out the order.

Donald Trump announced he would sign an Executive Order to shut down immigration
Donald Trump announced he would sign an Executive Order to shut down immigration. Picture: PA

Listen & subscribe: Global Player | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify

Trump's announcement comes as White House officials claim the worst of the pandemic is over in the US and the country should start to reopen.

Parts of the American economy have been paralysed due to the lockdown conditions imposed to slow the spread of the virus.

Since restrictions were imposed more than 20 million Americans have made unemployment claims.

The US has over 787,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and more than 42,000 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the pandemic globally.

The New York Times reported under an executive order, the Trump administration would no longer approve any applications from foreigners to live and work in the United States for an undetermined period of time, effectively shutting down the legal immigration system in the same way the president has long advocated closing the borders to illegal immigration.