NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said he will sign an executive order temporarily barring some immigrants from seeking permanent residency in the United States, saying it will protect Americans seeking to regain jobs lost due to the coronavirus pandemic.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump listens to a reporter’s question during a briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 21, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
But the Trump administration has already taken drastic steps to curb the entry of foreigners since the beginning of the public health emergency.
The latest moves square with the administration’s long-time goal of cracking down on immigration, a central theme of Trump’s presidency and his 2020 re-election campaign.
Here are some of the most significant immigration changes the U.S. government has already made in response to the pandemic, even before the announcement of the new order.
CLOSING THE BORDERS
The United States, Canada and Mexico closed their shared borders to tourist and recreational travel in late March to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, a shutdown that has been extended this week until May 21.
At the same time, the Trump administration implemented new rules that allow U.S. border officials to swiftly deport migrants who attempt to cross into the country illegally, bypassing standard legal p