Editing:2020.04.27 COVID-19 immigration eo

To watch a video summary of the new portion of our FAQ, please click here; to view the video summary of the original FAQ, please click here.

April 27, 2020 (Washington, D.C.) -- On April 22, 2020, President Trump issued an executive order that limits legal immigration into the United States for at least the next 60 days and effectively puts a ‘pause’ on most immigration into the U.S. The new executive order will likely be renewed by the President if he deems it necessary.

The Sikh Coalition has updated our COVID-19 Immigration and U.S. Citizenship FAQ to provide detailed answers to the most pressing questions regarding what this new executive order means for Sikh community members with immigration concerns.

The FAQ includes how this executive order impacts:

those seeking U.S. immigration visas,
the length of suspension of immigration,
asylum and refugee seekers,
work visas, and
Green Card holders from becoming U.S. citizens.

It is important to note that the suspension of immigration does NOT apply to any lawful permanent resident (such as Green Card holders) of the United States. The suspension also does NOT apply to immigrants who were in the United States before April 24, 2020.

For additional information, read our updated immigration FAQ; you can also read the new executive order in its entirety here. We encourage any immigrant seeking entry into the United States to speak with an immigration attorney, who can more fully explain your rights, the application process, and how this latest executive order affects you.

Finally, the Sikh Coalition categorically rejects the blanket ban on immigration through this Executive Order. Punishing those who have worked for years to join our society in a legal and orderly way will not make us safer from this pandemic or help those who are suffering. Moreover, closing our borders indefinitely to legal immigration will not prevent the spread of COVID-19 when other Americans are increasingly permitted to return to domestic travel and work at this administration’s urging. Our elected officials must listen to expertise based in science and reason, and Americans of all backgrounds must continue to treat each other with generosity and compassion. We urge the federal government to lift this ban immediately and forgo the implementation of any additional arbitrary immigration bans.

As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.

Executive Order Suspending Immigration