US President Donald Trump is set to halt immigration to the United States. In March, the President banned most individuals with a recent travel history to Europe from entering the country.

Travel around the globe is currently severely restricted. A handful of flights are still operating, but mainly to keep supply lines open. Other flights are specific aid missions, or to repatriate nationals to their homes. Many countries have been taking steps to stem the flow of passengers to minimize the impact of the current pandemic.

What's new?

Late last night, the United States President used his preferred method of circulation, his @realDonaldTrump Twitter account, to convey his latest message. In his tweet, the US President said that he would sign an executive order to halt immigration to the United States. The tweet was issued, "In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy."

In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020

What does this mean?

At the time of writing, no new executive orders had been published on the White House Website. As a result, BBC News reports: "It was not clear what programmes might be affected and whether the president would be able to carry out the order."

Face Mask Delivery
Flights have continued to keep cargo and lawful permanent residents moving. Photo: Getty Images

Ultimately, flights are unlikely to be affected as the latest move would likely affect the issuance of new green cards and work visas, according to the New York Times.

The current lack of demand means that a skeleton service is already in operation. These flights are unlikely to be halted anytime soon as they're still being used by US citizens and lawful permanent residents to enter the country.

Additionally, flights are helping to keep vital cargo supply lines open. For example, Virgin Atlantic has been operating some flights solely to keep cargo moving between the United States and Europe, as have other carriers.

What does the current ban entail?

Trump has currently banned most people who have recently traveled to Europe from entering the United States. However, this executive order would likely be unrelated to the one mentioned in Trump's latest tweet.

On the 11th of March, the President issued an executive order that banned most people who had been in the Schengen area within the past 14 days from traveling to the country.

EU, Schengen Zone, Travel Ban
A travel ban currently exists for those who have recently been in the Schengen zone, or the UK and Ireland. Photo: Getty Images

Notable exceptions to the prohibition were US citizens, lawful permanent residents, and aircrew flying to the United States for work purposes. Just two days later, Simple Flying reported that the ban had been extended to include the United Kingdom. The United States now has the highest number of cases of the virus in the world.

What do you make of Trump's latest suggestion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.