President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Congress to act on a program shielding 800,000 immigrants from deportation, hours before his administration was set to announce an end to the Obama-era policy.

In a tweet, the president said Congress needs to "get ready to do your job" on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The policy protects young people who immigrated to the United States illegally as children.

Trump: Congress, get ready to do your job - DACA!

Trump did not signal specifically what action he wants Congress to take.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is reportedly set to announce on Tuesday that the administration will rescind DACA but delay the action for six months to give Congress time to take legislative action.

Scrapping DACA, which started in 2012 under President Barack Obama, gives the immigrants a two-year period of protection from deportation and allows them to work in the United States.