Trump signs executive order temporarily suspending immigration into US

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order pausing immigration for 60 days to protect the jobs of Americans laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The temporary suspension of immigration will affect those who are legally seeking entry into the United States for employment purposes but not the ones who are already living in the country, the order said.

Describing it as a very powerful order Trump told reporters during his daily news briefing at the White House on Wednesday that he signed the order before coming for the press briefing.

By pausing immigration, we’ll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens. It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labour flown in from abroad, he said.