BREAKING: Trump Announces Executive Order Temporarily Suspending all Immigration into the US

Donald Trump 

President Donald Trump has just announced that he will be signing an Executive Order temporarily suspending any and all immigration into the United States forthwith.

He made the announcement early this morning via his official Twitter handle @realDonaldTrump saying, "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!"

Essentially, once the order is issued by the president, the US State Department would immediately stop issuing immigrant visas, and this will affect people from every country around the world. Non-immigrant or temporary visas are expected to still be issued.

This move by Trump will be both unprecedented and historic because even during the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, the US still allowed in as many as 110,000 immigrants.

Expectedly, top Democrats such as Eric Swalwell and former Presidential aspirant, Kamala Harris, have already weighed in, criticizing the president's move. It is expected that, not only will other Democrats do the same in the coming hours and days, but that the Democrat-led House leadership may likely challenge the order in court.

But, considering the fact that the US Supreme Court already upheld Trump's earlier Travel Ban just recently, citing his authority to do so under the constitution; and also, considering the fact that title 42 of the US code gives the president broad authority to suspend immigration for health reasons, the Democrats are very likely to make no headway in a lawsuit.

However, many of the President's supporters like Florida Congressman Brian Mast (R) are hailing the decision as not just a move to protect America from further incidences and spread of the coronavirus disease, but also an important move to protect the interests of the American worker who needs to get a job immediately after the lockdown is lifted. According to CNN, "In total, around 22 million people, or 13.5% of the labor force, have filed first-time jobless claims since mid-March."


Chukwubuikem Paul Anunaso writes from Lagos, Nigeria.