US president Donald Trump has said that he will use an executive order to temporarily suspend all immigration to the US due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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!”
It is not known at this time who may be affected by the ban and indeed whether or not the president has the capacity to follow through on his vow.
The White House has already suspended visa processing almost entirely as a result of the outbreak, while restrictions on non-essential travel over the borders with Canada and Mexico have been extended until mid-May at the earliest. Emergency powers granted on health grounds have also allowed for the US to reject thousands of undocumented migrants at the US-Mexico border.
In the background, the Trump administration has said that the US is beyond the peak of coronavirus cases and that the individual states can begin to relax lockdown restrictions. Some southern states are already in the process of doing so, but social distancing measures are likely to remain in place.
Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that the US has over 787,000 cases of Covid-19, with over 42,000 deceased. Despite the high numbers, protesters in several states have been taking to the streets demanding an end to the US lockdown.
Trump has expressed support for the protesters, which has sparked fury among Democrats who have continually urged American citizens to remain at home.
Speaking at the White House coronavirus briefing on Sunday, Trump hailed those protesting against social distancing measures within the various states as “great people”.
He said: “Their life was taken away from them. These people love our country, they want to get back to work."
Trump is eager to chart a swift course out of the lockdown due to the impact it has had on the US economy. Over 20 million Americans have made unemployed claims within the last four weeks.