Trump wants to pause immigration to the US

Immigrants make up a large part of the medical workforce.

With Donald Trump taking a beating for his mishandling of the coronavirus crisis, he seeks to turn voters' attentions to  other issues -- like his ongoing goal of ending the influx of immigrants.

Detais are still being hammered out after Trump's announcement late Monday forcing  White House officials scrambling to come up with the wording to stand up to the legal challenges that is sure to come from civil rights advocates.

Using the deadly virus as an excuse, Trump wants to end all immigration for 60 days with two major exceptions: those coming to the US on special visas and considered essential in the fight against the virus. So it appears those healthcare workers who take care of those stricken with COVID-19 or those who pick the produce are safe.

Those out of luck are are those immigrants seeking green cards that gives the authorization to work in the US and eventual citizenship.

"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.

Trump is expected to implement his policy by executive order which could happen before the end of the week.

The order would affect tens of thousands of people waiting to immigrate to the US. In some cases, it could delay relatives reuniting with their families already in the US. In recent years, the majority of these immigrants come from Asia, mainly China, India, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Based on statistics from the Department of Homeland Security, about 459,000 foreign national new arrivals to the US became green card holders in 2019, down 13% from 2018 arrivals, 

A US official observed that here was "a lot of hype, but no real change to the current practice in place," The official added that most work visas and green card applications have been on hold due to coronavirus restrictions.

With so many Americans out of work because of policies intended to slow or end the spread of the virus, Trump said he wanted to give first opportunities for employment to American citizens.

"By pausing immigration, we'll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens," Trump said. "It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flown in from abroad. We must first take care of the American workers."

Trump's anti-immigrant position, which he launched when he first announced his intention to run for president in 2015, while popular with his radical rightwing base, could hurt the US economy in the long run and in the short run, could hamper the fight against the coronavirus depending on the final version of the order.

The Migration Policy Institute estimates that 6,259,000 immigrants are working in jobs on the frontlines of the fight against coronavirus, including health care and social services; grocery stories, pharmacies and gas stations; manufacturing of food, medicine, soap and cleaning agents; agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting; bus, metro and taxi drivers; postal service workers; and scientific research and development.

With a 60-day moratorium, immigration would be a major topic leading into the heart of the presidential campaign since it seems to be the issue that riles up his base the most.

With the anti-China angle of some of Trump's early campaign ads and rhetoric, the FBI warning of a rise in hate attacks against Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans is sure to continue and rise even further.

“The president is using a national health crisis to pander to his political base in an election year,” immigration attorney Ayda Akalin told CNN. “Announcing an executive order feels more related to making good on campaign promises than actually trying to help the American people during this crisis."

The Value Our Families, an immigration advocacy group, stated: “The Trump administration has worked to further a white nationalist and extremist agenda that limits immigration, and criminalizes migrants. This tweet, and potential Executive Order does both: It builds on his xenophobic rhetoric and places blame on already vulnerable communities."