On April 10, President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all immigration into the United States. The president is known for his distaste towards immigrants, so it came as no surprise. However, perhaps he should look at the bigger picture before making a decision that has the capability of collapsing the economy and destroying the population, especially in times when the coronavirus is ravaging every aspect of the country anyways. Immigrant workers are the backbone of America’s economy, and without them, the country is doomed.

One may argue that the suspension has nothing to do with Trump’s distaste for immigrants or the economy, and that by reducing the flow of people into the country, he’s stopping the potential spread of the virus. However, his true intentions were released during the coronavirus task briefing at the White House. “In order to protect our great American workers, I’ve just signed an executive order temporarily suspending immigration into the United States,” Trump stated. “This will ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs as our economy reopens.” Perhaps Trump forgot that not everyone is stuck inside right now and that immigrants working on farms, processing plants, and more are still hard at work to support Americans like himself. Not to mention, the number of immigrant doctors and other medical workers that are not only saving the Americans that are dying, but undoubtedly looking for a cure. But, of course, why would these people be valued? America only has the highest number of Coronavirus cases by far. In fact, making an active effort to keep them out sounds like a fantastic idea!

Not only is President Trump using a time of national emergency as the chance to enforce his anti-immigrant values, but he’s also putting the economy and health of all Americans at risk. The people who move to the United States are standing with us as doctors, farmworkers, factory workers, and more, but suddenly they’ve been reduced to nothing and put under the feet of Americans who solely benefit from their hard work. At this time, we should value their hard work and stamina. Many immigrants come here for a better life and to support the country and its economy diligently, yet somehow the president is against them, undermining their work and using a virus as an excuse to combat their entire existence.