Putting immigration back on the political agenda is what Donald Trump did less than seven months before the presidential election. The President of the United States announced Tuesday, April 21, in the White House that he was going to sign a decree suspending for sixty days the granting of "green cards", the famous permanent resident cards that allow immigrants to immigrate to the American territory and work.
"By putting immigration on hold, we are going to put unemployed Americans first for jobs when America reopenssaid Donald Trump. It would be wrong and unfair for Americans fired from the virus to be replaced by a wave of immigrants from abroad. We must give priority to the American worker. " The initiative is announced as 22 million Americans have been unemployed in a month since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic. The flow is expected to continue, even if America tries to resume economic activity.
Donald Trump had taken the United States off guard by announcing the day before on Twitter, around 10 p.m., "A presidential decree suspending immigration". The text of the decree had not yet had time to be drawn up by the Ministry of Justice.
It has caused uproar in business circles and among American farmers, worried about the abolition of temporary work visas essential for agriculture or services such as tourism and health. Donald Trump had to back off during the day – "Farmers will not be affected", he said. The fate of temporary visas is postponed to a possible second decree. The president also announced that he could extend the measure but hoped he would not have to do so: "I hope the economy will flourish at that time. "
A deterrent effect on applicants for immigration
At first glance, the measure may appear above all symbolic. The coronavirus has already led to the closure of borders. Access to the United States is closed to non-American travelers from Europe, Iran, and China.
Traffic is reduced to the strict minimum with Mexico and Canada. Illegal immigration to the Mexican border is in free fall, in particular due to the containment measures decided in the countries of Central America, where most of the illegal immigrants come from. US authorities also return asylum seekers, including minors. Visa processing by the US consulates has been suspended for several weeks.
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