Rep. Brian Mast: Why Trump's immigration ban amid pandemic is a common-sense step
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Rep. Brian Mast said on Tuesday that closing immigration into the United States was “common sense” for President Trump to implement amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“There are so many things that it’s just common sense to say, 'Now is not the right time to be bringing more folks in,' that are either going to take jobs from people that don’t have them or are not in tune with the local health infrastructure,” the Florida Republican lawmaker told “Fox & Friends.”
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Trump announced late Monday he will soon sign an executive order "to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States," in what appeared to be a drastic escalation of his efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic and boost the economy.
The declaration came hours after U.S. equity markets plunged, with oil prices turning negative for the first time in history. Also on Monday, three states – Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina – revealed plans to begin reopening some businesses.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The precise contours of the president's planned executive order regarding immigration were not immediately clear. The White House did not immediately elaborate on Trump's tweeted announcement.
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Politico reported that the Department of Homeland Security was still working out the details of the executive order, and that an exemption for temporary guest workers, including farm workers, was under consideration.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report.