Trump increases immigration restrictions

Immigration in the US has been tremendously affected by the arrival of the global Coronavirus pandemic. In fact, the restrictions implemented in immigration policies have increased considerably in recent months.

This adds up to the fact that Trump’s administration has been trying to reduce immigration, both legal and illegal, since 2017 when the president took office.

Thus, with the massive outbreak of Coronavirus in North America, the Trump administration seized the opportunity to implement strict emergency measures on immigration policies.

On June 22, 2020, the White House published a proclamation where the president declares that applications for Green Cards are suspended for the rest of the year.

Green Card – Brief Explanation

The Green Card allows an immigrant to obtain legal permanent residence in the US without the need of other permits.

The entity in charge of granting the legal permanent residence is the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

This means that when a non-US citizen receives a Green Card, (s)he will be able to obtain all the benefits offered by the government like any other legal citizen of the US.

Green Card holders have the right to:

• Work legally without any other work permit.
• Apply for Social benefits.
• Access the health system.
• Education.
• Retirement.

Thousands of immigrants submit Green Card applications annually in order to take advantage of these benefits like any other American citizen.

However, the Trump government decided to suspend the issuance of Green Cards during the health crisis.

In addition to that, the annual Diversity Visa Lottery was also suspended, preventing at least 50,000 eligible immigrants from obtaining a Green Card.

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The arguments of Trump’s administration

The first time Trump’s administration announced the suspension of Green Card applications was in April, when the country was at its highest peak of Coronavirus contagion.

Initially, this measure was to be in force for a maximum of 60 days. However, the president warned that it could be extended if necessary.

Now, the current administration of the US has extended this emergency measure until the end of the year.

When the president publicly announced the measure, he stated: “This will ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs as our economy reopens”.

Therefore, according to the government’s opinion, if the country continues to issue Green Cards during the economic crisis caused by the Coronavirus, it could negatively affect the local population and worsen the current unemployment rate.

Experts give their opinions on this measure

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI)  argues that the Green Card ban could prevent approximately 26,000 immigrants from entering the US every month for the remainder of the year.

In addition to that, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) openly stated: “This is not a response to the covid-19 pandemic or an economic response. This is exploiting a pandemic to institute divisive immigration policies and change immigration law without the backing of Congress”.

Several non-profit organizations, critics, expert immigration attorneys, and immigrant rights advocates also support this opinion.

However, despite the multiple criticisms that Trump’s government has received about the suspension of Green Cards, it continues with its initiative to ban the entry of immigrants to the US, at least during the health crisis.

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