Donald Trump has said he will sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the US amid the coronavirus crisis.
The move, which the US leader announced in a tweet in the early hours of Tuesday, effectively achieves a long-term policy goal of the president to curb immigration, making use of the crisis to do so.
It drew swift condemnation from some Democrats, who accused the president of creating a distraction from what they view as a slow and faulty response to the coronavirus.
Mr Trump said he was taking the action to protect the US workforce.
Millions of Americans are suffering unemployment after companies shed employees amid nationwide lockdowns to stop the contagion.
"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!" Mr Trump tweeted.
Crowds regularly chant "Build the Wall!" at Mr Trump's political rallies, which are now idled because of the virus.
The US death toll from the virus topped 42,000 on Monday, according to a Reuters tally.
Its economy has come to a near standstill because of the pandemic and more than 22 million people applied for unemployment benefits in the last month.
"You cut off immigration, you crater our nation’s already weakened economy," former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro said in a tweet. "What a dumb move."
The United States has the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 780,000 infections, up 27,000 on Monday.
