President Donald Trump announced Tuesday night that he will sign an executive order temporarily suspending the issuance of green cards, saying it’s needed to protect American jobs amid an unemployment crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier drafts of the executive order would have also suspended the issuance of new visas. But the New York Times reported that Trump ultimately decided against doing so after pushback from business groups that rely on foreign workers, particularly in the tech sector.
Under the executive order, American citizens will still be able to apply for green cards on behalf of their children and spouses, according to the Times. But the families of existing green card holders and those applying for green cards through their employer will not be able to do so for a period of 60 days. Roughly 577,000 immigrants were granted green cards between October 2018 and October 2019. Continue reading.