EL PASO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd April, 2020) US President Donald Trump's decision to target immigrants as part of his response plan to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is an example of his failed leadership in handling important issues, Border Network for Human Rights Executive Director Fernando Garcia told Sputnik.
Trump announced on Monday that he would issue an executive order to temporarily block all immigration into the United States. Trump said the move was intended to protect the United States from further spreading of the novel coronavirus and to protect US jobs.
"Once again, the president is using immigrants as scapegoats for this pandemic and for the ramifications of an economic slowdown," Garcia said. "Blaming immigrants during this crisis, makes more evident his failed leadership, and makes it clear that he will always use them to advance his political agenda."
Garcia said Trump's plan sends dangerous messages and embraces "extremism, distorted nationalism and xenophobia" during a time when the United States needs a leader to pull the country together.
Garcia added that although Trump's order may exempt immigrant farm and healthcare workers, it will cause more fear among the vulnerable community as they provide critical services.
Media reported that Trump's executive order will suspend most legal immigration into the United States for at least 90 days, but immigrant farm workers, healthcare workers and medical research professionals will be exempt from the order.
The United States has more than 814,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 43,700 deaths caused by the virus as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
