On Tuesday, President Trump announced details of his executive order to suspend immigration during the coronavirus pandemic. The measure would initially last for 60 days and also apply to those seeking permanent residence.

Trump presented the action, which he first mentioned in a tweet late Monday night, as a necessary effort to protect American workers from competition overseas. He hinted during the White House briefing that there would be certain exemptions but did not elaborate.

“It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flown in from abroad,” Trump said at the briefing. “We must first take care of the American worker.”

Approximately 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in recent weeks as measures intended to slow the spread of the virus have forced businesses to shutter down or lay off employees.

However, President Trump has been optimistic about reopening the economy and has predicted the economy will rebound “like a rocket ship,” raising questions about the timing of the immigration pause.

Restricting immigration has been a central tenet of Trump’s agenda since the early days of his first presidential campaign, and the following executive order is sure to appeal to his base of supporters.

Trump brushed off a question about accusations he was using the pandemic to justify the endorsement of his immigration plan.

“I’m not doing that at all. I want the American worker and our American citizens to be able to get jobs,” he said. “I don’t want them to compete right now.”

Democrats have slammed President Trump for the order, alleging that he is using it to divert attention from criticism of his handling of the pandemic. He has come under intense criticism for downplaying the danger of the virus in January and February and for his administration’s slow pace in distributing testing materials and personal protective equipment.

President Trump said he would review the order after 60 days and extend it or modify it depending on the economic conditions. He failed to lay out criteria for what would warrant lifting the order.