Members of the Coronavirus Task Force, charged with leading the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, are holding a briefing Tuesday at 5 p.m. President Trump announced late Monday plans to take executive action to temporarily suspend immigration to the country because of the illness.
Mr. Trump announced the move on Twitter, citing “the attack from the Invisible Enemy” and the “need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens.”
How to watch the Coronavirus Task Force briefing today
A White House source said the executive action likely will be in the form of a presidential proclamation that will be signed in the coming days.
Halting immigration has been the de facto position of the Trump administration since March 20, when the State Department ordered consular offices closed and stopped issuing visas. The State Department said at the time it was “temporarily suspending routine visa services at all U.S. Embassies and Consulates,” and embassies and consulates were instructed to “cancel all routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments.”
On March 26, the State Department said the H-2 program, which includes temporary agricultural workers, is “essential to the economy and food security” of the U.S., so these visas would continue to be processed “as much as possible.”
