President Donald Trump signed an executive order to "pause" most new U.S. green cards for the next 60 days in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
"In order to protect our great American workers, I've just signed an executive order temporarily suspending immigration into the United States," President Trump said. "This will ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs as our economy reopens."
The order applies to people who are seeking entry and don't have a valid visa. It does not apply to people who are already legal permanent residents or to health care professionals applying for immigrant visas to help the U.S. combat the coronavirus. On Tuesday, he said the order would not apply to people who intend to be in the country temporarily.
The president first said he'd sign an executive order to "temporarily suspend immigration" on Monday. That announcement raised alarm and questions about the president's motivation and the reach of the order.
The president said it's possible the order could be amended or extended.
