Late on Monday, April 20 the President announced on Twitter that he will sign an Executive Order that temporarily suspends immigration into the U.S. to protect the country from the continued spread of COVID-19, and to protect American jobs.
No details about the proposed Executive Order have been released. However, news outlets report that sources close to the administration say there will be limits on who is impacted, including farmworkers. Last month the Department of State announced an increase in processing guest workers to harvest fruits and vegetables. The administration also expressed a desire to protect the supply chain to secure the food supply available to grocery stores.
The forthcoming Executive Order is not likely to have a significant impact on persons who are already physically present in the U.S. In light of COVID-19, the administration has already made recent changes to its immigration policies, including:
- People who have traveled in China have faced restrictions upon re-entering the U.S.
- Foreign-born travelers who have traveled to Europe have faced heightened restrictions upon re-entering the U.S.
- The southern border has been largely closed to asylum-seekers and those attempting to cross without prior authorization
- In-person processing of pending immigration applications has been suspended
It is unclear how this new Executive Order will impact travel, pending applications, or future applications. Employers with sponsored employees or foreign nationals on their workforces should continue to monitor the news published directly from immigration agencies such as: the Department of Homeland Security; the Department of State; and the Department of Labor. We will provide updated information as it becomes available.