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Trump's Latest Immigration Order Explained

Aline Barros

   WASHINGTON - A new [1]executive order from the Trump administration
   restricts legal immigration to the United States for 60 days beginning
   Friday. Before signing the order late Wednesday, President Donald Trump
   cited the need to protect American workers and preserve U.S. health
   care resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

   Who is affected?

   The executive order suspends Lawful Permanent Resident visas, commonly
   referred to as green cards, for most family members of U.S. citizens
   and permanent residents who currently live outside the United States
   and do not have a valid visa or travel document.

   The proclamation also suspends green card applications for thousands of
   people coming to the country through the diversity program or lottery
   system. Fifty-thousand green cards are available annually to people
   from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United
   States.

   What is a green card?

   For more than 50 years, the United States has issued green cards to
   immigrants who are allowed to live permanently in the country. For
   many, securing a green card is the last step before filing for American
   citizenship.
   According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, [2]green
   cards are most commonly granted to family members of U.S. citizens and
   legal residents, as well as refugees and asylum seekers admitted to the
   United States and certain categories of workers.

   In Fiscal Year 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
   [3]granted lawful permanent residence to nearly 577,000 people.

References

   1. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspending-entry-immigrants-present-risk-u-s-labor-market-economic-recovery-following-covid-19-outbreak/?fbclid=IwAR1TwaRx0yZuP6oFSgEhwEFT2a0UEAFz0GA_597m6EJVHxh_SY7RTPYjMiU
   2. https://www.uscis.gov/greencard
   3. https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-final-fy-2019-statistics-available

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