President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday that he would issue an order to suspend all immigration to the United States.

"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 tweeted.

The president has used the phrase "the invisible enemy" to refer to the coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged the globe since its emergence in Wuhan, China, in late December.



The extraordinary announcement builds upon the initial response that the president had to the coronavirus breakout when he ordered a travel ban on Jan. 31 for those people trying to enter the United States from China.

Critics of the president initially claimed that his travel ban was "xenophobic" and racist, but some have admitted as the contagion grew that his action was likely the correct course.

There are more than 745,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States, with 39,000 deaths.

Here's more about the coronavirus pandemic: