US President Donald Trump said late Monday night that he will sign an executive order temporarily suspending immigration to the US, as the nation battles the health and economic effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

 

A CNN report quoted Trump as saying the measure was done "in light of the attack from the invisible enemy," or the coronavirus pandemic, and to protect US jobs. 

 

It's unclear what mechanism Trump will use to suspend immigration and it is also unclear how long such a suspension could last, the CNN said.

 

Last month, the US suspended almost all visa processing, including for immigrants, because of the pandemic.

 

The US has already agreed with both Canada and Mexico to extend border restrictions on non-essential travel until at least mid-May.

 

The US has over 787,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and more than 42,000 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the pandemic globally.