US: Trump adviser cites health for halting immigration

President Donald Trump says he'll sign an executive order "to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States" because of the coronavirus.

National security adviser Robert O'Brien says the move is not about politics but instead about protecting Americans' health and livelihood.

O'Brien on Tuesday cast a temporary immigration ban as similar to the restrictions on travel to the U.S. from China that Trump put in place in January.

O'Brien says the administration believes those restrictions saved lives.

Almost all visa processing by the State Department, including immigrant visas, has already been suspended due to the pandemic.

Trump offered no details late Monday about which immigration programs might be affected by the executive order.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.