US President Donald Trump announced Monday that he will temporarily suspend immigration in the United States as the country grapples to limit the spread and impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“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!” Trump tweeted.
He did not provide elaborate on how long the order would last, its effect on the US border crossings and impact on immigration programs, CNN reported.
The White House and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In mid-March, the US suspended all routine visa services, both immigrant and non-immigrant, in most countries worldwide due to the coronavirus outbreak affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
The US has the highest number of COVID-19 cases across the world, with more than 774,000 cases and over 42,000 deaths as of Monday.
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