The lockdowns and restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic have had a devastating effect on America’s job market, taking what was a booming economy and saddling it with massive unemployment.
In April, as part of President Donald Trump’s response to the job crisis, he took action to limit immigration into the United States. On Friday, he signed an order to extend those restrictions, The Daily Caller reported.
“The effects of COVID-19 on the United States labor market and on the health of American communities is a matter of ongoing national concern, and the considerations present in Proclamations 10014 and 10052 have not been eliminated,” he said in a statement.
It continued, “Moreover, actions such as States’ continued imposition of restrictions on businesses still affect the number of workers that can be hired as compared with February 2020.”
The order
The Daily Caller pointed out that it is “unclear whether President-elect Joe Biden will lift the ban,” noting that Biden has pledged to reverse other immigration restrictions that Trump has imposed during his presidency.
As The Associated Press reported in April, Trump’s initial order only applied to individuals seeking green cards. “To protect American workers I will be issuing a temporary suspension of immigrating into the United States,” Trump said at the time.
Nevertheless, Andrea Flores of the American Civil Liberties Union complained then that the president was “more interested in fanning anti-immigrant flames than in saving lives.”
“Citizens must be first in line”
In June, Trump extended that order until the end of 2020, while also expanding its scope to cover temporary work permits.
“The President is taking decisive action to put American families and workers first in the reopening of the economy and DHS is proudly partnering with him to implement this important executive action,” Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said, according to the Daily Caller.
“This proclamation ensures Americans aren’t facing unfair competition as our economy begins to safely reopen,” Wolf continued, adding, “American citizens must be first in line for American jobs.”
A Dec. 4 unemployment report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics put the national unemployment rate for November at 6.7%.
It reported that “notable job gains occurred in transportation and warehousing, professional and business services, and health care” while there had been a decrease in employment related to “government and retail trade.”
The post Trump extends COVID-related restrictions on immigration into United States first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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