INVISIBLE ENEMY’: Trump Stops U.S. Immigration from Caribbean ~ President Links Decision to COVID-19 Fight

Caribbean nationals trying to make the United States their permanent home suffered a massive setback last month as President Donald Trump announced plans to stop immigration to the U.S.

Trump issued a statement on the social media platform Twitter indicating he would sign an executive order suspending immigration into the U.S.

In the tweet, the president claimed his decision is part of U.S. efforts to preserve employment for American citizens as the nation confronts what he called the “Invisible Enemy”, believed to be the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has infected more than a million people in the U.S., killing over 62,000 through the end of April.

“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!” Trump tweeted April 20.

Up to press time it was unclear how many applications for permanent residence would be affected by Trump’s order, or if those from certain countries, including the Caribbean, would be more heavily affected than others.

SLOWDOWN

During fiscal year 2019, close to 500,000 permanent residence or “green cards” were granted, according to the U.S. Department of State. Caribbean nationals make up roughly 10 percent of all immigrants in the U.S.

Usually family members in the U.S. file the petitions for permanent residence. With the president’s executive order, the immigration flow from the Caribbean is expected to slow appreciably.

On April 21, White House officials, which published reports indicated were surprised by Trump’s late night tweet, sought to clarify the president’s comment. The following day, with the public unsure who would be targeted by the president’s order, information became public that migrant farm workers, a key element of consumer food production in the U.S., and those working the health sector, would not be impacted by the executive order. Hundreds of Caribbean nationals are part of the farm work program in the U.S.

On April 22, Trump announced that only immigrants seeking to become permanent residents would be affected by his executive order, which would be effective for 60 days, after which it would be reviewed. Holders of non-immigrant visas - including tourist, business, student and temporary workers - will not be affected by Trump’s order.

“By pausing immigration, we’ll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America re-opens,” the president stated. “It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flown in from abroad. We must first take care of the American workers.”

More than 30 million U.S. residents reportedly lost their jobs during a six-week period of the pandemic ending April 30.

The president’s decision followed a pattern of directives directly affecting Caribbean immigrants during the pandemic. Several services, for example swearing-in ceremonies for new U.S. citizens and issuing visas, have been put on hold. During his campaign for president in 2016, Trump promised supporters he would slow down immigration.

Unconfirmed reports surfaced last month that non-immigrant visa holders may be targeted by the government next. However, immigration advocates slammed the president’s new executive order.

“This is not about the policy,” read a partial tweet from Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum. “It is about the message the president wants to send. He wants people to turn against 'the other’ … He sees immigrants as the easiest to blame.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also blasted the president’s executive order.

“There are measured and productive approaches to curbing the spread of COVID-19, namely ensuring equal access to testing and treatment; releasing individuals from ICE and CBP detention; and suspending interior enforcement,” Andrea Flores, deputy policy director for the ACLU’s Equality Division, noted in a statement released last month.

“Unfortunately, President Trump seems more interested in fanning anti-immigrant flames than in saving lives. We cannot allow President Trump to exploit this pandemic to advance his racism and xenophobia.”

The migration of Caribbean nationals to the U.S. began around the mid-1940s. More than four million Caribbean nationals currently live in the U.S., according to the Migration Policy Institute. They come mostly from Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago.