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President Trump tweeted that he’ll sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration to the U.S. This comes at a time when U.S tourism numbers are already low. However, the tweet was followed by no details or information from the White House.

Trump Immigration Announcement

Here’s what he said on Twitter:

In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!
Many news outlets pressed for more information about the upcoming order. However, neither the President nor the White House provided any details or action plan. At the current moment, the statement itself seems more grandstanding that anything else. Also, we don’t know which type of visas that will be impacted. Due to the stay at home orders, visa offices are already shut in many places and USCIS has pointed out that they’re only focusing on ‘mission critical’ tasks for now. USCIS has already suspended in person interviews, naturalization ceremonies and biometric appointments. In such a situation, I don’t know how any new suspension would change the situation drastically.

The Pundit’s Mantra

Governments around the world have already placed restrictions on international travel. As travel gradually opens up, governments around the world will place new health screening requirements and perform additional checks. In such a scenario, an immigration ban by itself is not bound to achieve a lot. Also, if an immigration ban lasts really long, how long would it be before the US starts facing a labor shortage in key sectors?

Immigration has cascading effects that are beneficial to the travel industry. When immigrants move to the US for work, they often visit their home countries. Conversely, their families obtain tourist visas to visit them in the US. They book flights, stay at hotels and rent cars. The long term effects of immigration are greatly beneficial to the travel industry.

Critics of this announcement point out that this is more of a political ploy. Neither the President or the White House have provided any details. In the meanwhile, opponents of the policy are already getting ready to mount legal action.

What do you think about President Trump’s announcement? Tell us in the comments section.

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