That Trump immigration tweet, explained

Trump proposes a new executive order limiting immigration; Netanyahu holds onto power in Israel. Tonight's Sentences was written by Cameron Peters. TOP NEWS Trump takes aim at immigration — again Alex Wong/Getty Images - On Monday night, President Donald Trump announced on Twitter his intent to temporarily suspend immigration into the US because of the coronavirus pandemic, citing “the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens.” [[CNN / Betsy Klein, Priscilla Alvarez, and Kevin Liptak](] - Trump’s announcement — no executive order has yet been signed — is just the latest attempt by his administration to use the coronavirus as a justification for curbing immigration. [[Reuters / Jeff Mason](] - But between travel bans, closed borders with Canada and Mexico, and a revised asylum policy, there isn’t much immigration left to suspend — the US immigration system is already almost at a standstill. [[Vox / Nicole Narea](] - Kevin Hassett, who serves as one of the president’s economic advisers, echoed that sentiment Tuesday. He told reporters that "there's so little travel right now that at the margin the policy change that was announced last night isn't going to be economically significant in the short run because there's no movement about.” [[NPR / Krishnadev Calamur](] - The new restrictions are likely to take the form of a temporary pause on green cards for most — but not all — foreigners. Trump is said to have backed down on plans to go further and halt the entry of guest workers too. [[New York Times](] - Seasonal farm workers make up one of the largest categories of immigration right now, and in recent weeks the Trump administraton has actually made it easier for US employers to hire foreign workers to fill some jobs. [[Politico / Anita Kunmar, Liz Crampton, and Matthew Choi](] - Democrats have roundly criticized the announcement, describing it as xenophobic and authoritarian. Rep. Joaquin Castro, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said in a tweet that the move is an attempt to “divert attention away from Trump's failure to stop the spread of the coronavirus and save lives.” [[NBC News / Rebecca Shabad](] Israel avoids a fourth election - After three elections in less than a year, Israel finally has a new government. Caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud will join with rival Benny Gantz in a unity government that will see Netanyahu remain in office through October 2021. [[NPR / Laurel Wamsley and Daniel Estrin](] - The agreement, announced Monday, should head off the possibility of a fourth election while the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. [[CNN / Andrew Carey, Amir Tal, and Oren Liebermann](] - For now, Gantz will serve as deputy prime minister before assuming the top job later next year and serving out the back half of the unity government’s three-year term. [[NYT / David M. Halbfinger and Isabel Kershner](] - It’s unclear how — or if — the new unity government will function, though. The agreement between Netanyahu and Gantz is predicated on a tortured bureaucratic structure that one Israeli political commentator described as “essentially two governments.” [[Washington Post / Steve Hendrix and Ruth Eglash](] - And there’s still another element of uncertainty: Netanyahu remains under indictment for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, and could stand trial while serving as prime minister. [[Haaretz / Chemi Shalev](] MISCELLANEOUS The public health danger in Georgia’s plan to end its coronavirus shutdown [[CNN / Stephen Collinson](] - What a coronavirus outbreak could look like in Africa [[Vox / Alex Ward](] - The coronavirus pandemic is bad news for colleges and college students alike. [[NPR / Elissa Nadworny](] - “We don’t even know what we’re breathing”: The human toll of Trump’s EPA rollbacks [[AP / Ellen Knickmeyer](] VERBATIM "There’s no 'invisible hand' insisting that we have precarity all the time. We choose this. We choose these rates of inequality, this racial wealth gap, we elected it. We choose to not help parents out until their kid is 5 with public education. We could’ve chosen another system, another world." [[Annie Lowrey on how the economic collapse is hurting millenials / Vox](] LISTEN TO THIS [A coronavirus conspiracy theory has led to arson attacks in the UK.]( A coronavirus conspiracy theory has led to arson attacks in the UK. Plus, how to talk to friends and family about coronavirus misinformation. [[Spotify / Arielle Duhaime-Ross](] [Read more from Vox](#) [It took a pandemic for cities to finally address homelessness]( [The coronavirus could tear the EU apart]( [Exclusive: Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown’s plan to protect consumers from financial ruin]( [This new charity offers scientists coronavirus grants in 48 hours]( [Facebook is taking down some, but not all, quarantine protest event pages]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences](, or [unsubscribe]( to stop receiving all emails from Vox. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.