Trump says he will suspend all immigration into U.S.

Trump says he will suspend all immigration into U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he will issue an executive order temporarily suspending all immigration into the country.

Gloria Tso reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday (April 20) he will issue an executive order temporarily suspending all immigration into the country.

Citing the quote "attack from the invisible enemy" and the need to protect the jobs of U.S. citizens, the move promotes Trump's long-term policy goal to curb immigration by making use of the ongoing health and economic crisis.

Trump won the White House in 2016 in part due to a promise to curb immigration by building a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico.

His administration has spent the past three years of his tenure cracking down on both legal and illegal entries into the country.

Democrats like former presidential candidate Julian Castro were quick to condemn Trump's decision.

Castro called it quote "a dumb move." The White House declined to offer further detail on the reasoning behind the decision, its timing, or its legal basis.

But Trump's former acting director of U.S. immigration defended the decision, saying it quote "makes sense" to protect opportunities for unemployed Americans.

The U.S. economy has come to a near-standstill with more than 22 million people applying for unemployment benefits in the past month.

Yet the President has made a point of saying the worst of the crisis has passed and encouraged the states to reopen their economies.

In mid-March, the U.S. already suspended all routine visa services in most countries worldwide for both immigrants and non-immigrants, a move that has potentially impacted thousands of people.