U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he will be issuing a temporary suspension of immigration into the United States and the measure will be in effect for 60 days and then be re-evaluated.
The Republican president said his administration will be examining additional immigration-related measures "to protect American workers."
"As we move forward we will become more and more protective of them," Trump said at the daily coronavirus news briefing. "This pause on new immigration will also help to conserve vital medical resources for American citizens."
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.
