Trump bars new immigration green cards, not temporary visas

By Jill Colvin, Elliot Spagat and Ben Fox, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)–  President Donald Trump has announced what he describes as a “temporary suspension of immigration into the United States.”

But the executive order would bar only those seeking permanent residency, not temporary workers.

Trump said Tuesday he would be placing a 60-day pause on the issuance of green cards in an effort to limit competition for jobs in a U.S. economy wrecked by the coronavirus.

But he said there would be “certain exemptions,” which staff members were still crafting Tuesday.

It’s a return to a divisive issue at a time of national crisis.

©The Associated Press 2020