Trump told reporters at the White House the suspension would come into force through an executive order that he would likely sign on Wednesday as he offered the first details about a vague announcement he made Monday night on Twitter.

Addressing an issue key to his conservative base as the country is ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 43,000 people dead in the US, Trump said his move would help Americans who have lost their jobs during the ongoing shutdown.

“By pausing immigration, it will help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens,” Trump said at his daily pandemic briefing, AFP reported.

“This pause will be in effect for 60 days,” he told reporters, adding that he would decide on any extension or changes “based on economic conditions at the time.”

The Republican president said the order would “only apply to individuals seeking a permanent residency — in other words, those receiving green cards.”

“It will not apply to those entering on a temporary basis,” he added.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) granted lawful permanent residence to around 577,000 individuals in 2019.

Trump said there would be exemptions that his administration would detail before the order is signed.

“We’ll sign it most likely tomorrow. Being drawn now and tonight, and it’s something we have to have in this country,” he added.

According to US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Wall Street Journal before Trump spoke, the eventual executive order could include exceptions for farm and health care workers.

The US government issued 462,000 visas in fiscal 2019, according to official data — a major drop from the 617,000 visas granted in 2016 under Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama.

Any executive order on immigration will likely spark court action to reverse it, and has already raised hackles among Trump’s Democratic opponents.

Before Trump’s briefing, Texas lawmaker Joaquin Castro slammed what he called “an attempt to divert attention away from Trump’s failure to stop the spread of the coronavirus and save lives.”

In a tweet, Castro accused Trump of “an authoritarian-like move to take advantage of a crisis and advance his anti-immigrant agenda.”

The Supreme Court has in recent months offered several significant victories to the Trump administration in cases relating to immigration.

A month ago, the high court allowed the federal government to maintain a policy that will send more than 60,000 asylum seekers back to Mexico.

The “Remain in Mexico” policy unveiled in December 2018 and implemented a month later calls for non-Mexican asylum seekers who attempt to enter the US via that country to stay there while their cases are being decided.

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“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,” he claimed in a tweet late on Monday.

Trump’s decision, which has drawn condemnation from Democrats, is in line with one of his long-term policy goals of curbing immigration.

The president had promised in 2016 to curb immigration by building a wall on the US border with Mexico and launched a crackdown on both legal and illegal entries into the country soon after he assumed office.

The White House gave no further details about the timing of the suspension, and long it would be in place, and what effect it would have on the operation of US border crossings, and on those who already hold green cards.

“You cut off immigration, you crater our nation’s already weakened economy. What a dumb move” former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro said in a tweet.

Trump halted travel from much of Europe in mid-March and restricted travel from China in January as the virus spread.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected more than 780,000 people in the US and killed 42,000 as of early Tuesday morning.

More than 22 million Americans have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, wiping out a decade of job gains in the country. Only last week, 5.2 million people filed unemployment claims.

Trump has been widely criticized for initially downplaying the coronavirus, which he likened to flu, before later accepting that it was a national emergency.

The present, who is seeking reelection in November, has appeared impatient with preventive measures intended to slow the spread of the virus, voicing his support to anti-lockdown protests angry at US governors’ stay-at-home orders.

Trump has said parts of the country can begin to loosen lockdown restrictions and reopen the economy amid rising virus death toll.

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