THREAD: President Trump is expected to expand his April 22 proclamation today through the end of 2020, issuing a ban on persons entering the United States who have a L, H-1B, J-1 or H-2B visa - prioritizing sowing divisions over economic recovery. 1/

It’s no secret that the Trump administration has had their sights set on restricting immigration since day one, and this situation is no different. It is using the pandemic as an excuse to enact policies that will threaten legal immigration long after the pandemic subsides 2/

Since late January, the Trump administration has implemented at least 45 new immigration policies, including restrictions on legal immigration, a ban on asylum seekers and a suspension of routine visa services. 3/ https://immigrationforum.org/article/immigration-related-executive-actions-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Many of the administration’s troubling new immigration policies are set to continue indefinitely, even as the president argues that the worst of the pandemic is past and encourages states to reopen. 4/

These actions only serve to sow divisions by promoting a view that immigrants should be viewed as competitors, undermines the trust we have in immigrants on the frontlines of the response, and will make it harder for the nation to recover. 5/

Not to mention that immigrants contribute actively to creating jobs in our economy. The Trump administration is actively cutting off access to a crucial workforce that would help the economy recover from COVID-19. 6/

These regulations and rules designed to limit immigration don’t solve our economic problems or significantly aid U.S. workers, and this does not address the challenges our nation faces as we begin the long recovery from COVID-19. 7/

Policies like these do not make America stronger or safer.

They only keep resources and talent we need out of the country, prevent families from being reunited and harm businesses trying to recover from the economic turmoil of the past few months. 8/

Lawmakers should prioritize the recovery of their communities over the scapegoating of immigrants. A global pandemic that has killed over 119,000 people in America and put millions out of work is the real enemy.

Immigrants and immigration will help us win this fight. 9/