Donald Trump launched his second presidential term after a stunning political comeback with an avalanche of executive orders to quickly implement his agenda from his signature issue— immigration — to terminating diversity programs in federal agencies.
The order to end DEI — Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — was in keeping with Trump’s promise “to forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based,” as he declared in his inaugural address Monday.
Among the orders Trump signed at the White House after a celebratory rally in downtown Washington, was a directive to end birthright citizenship to exclude the children of undocumented immigrants from the right to citizenship by birth.
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Immigration groups and civil rights organizations were finalizing legal challenges Monday night to the President’s bid to end a right established under the 14th Amendment, setting up Trump for one of his first lengthy court battles, according to Politico.
Trump also increased immigration enforcement authorities, declared a national emergency at the southern border, and moved to end so-called “catch and release” policies that allow migrants parole while awaiting their court hearings.
He also resumed construction of the border wall and moved to resurrect “Remain in Mexico,” a policy from his first term that required asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for their cases to be processed.
The president also issued an order to “clarify the military’s role in protecting the territorial integrity of the United States” directed agencies to provide recommendations for the suspension of entry for nationals of countries of concern and suspended refugee resettlement for at least four months.
He also moved to further restrict asylum, designate a series of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and direct the attorney general to seek capital punishment for the murder of law enforcement and capital crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.
“I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil, including our cities and inner cities,” Trump said.
Another order focused on the domestic front targets programs across the government that promote DEI in hiring practices and community programs. Trump also signed a broad order to roll back programs that recognize transgender and non-binary individuals.
Trump made good on his campaign pledge to designate certain drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a move that is specifically aimed at groups like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua.
By designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, it would allow authorities to more easily arrest and deport convicted members, as well as prosecute those who aid the cartels. “That’s a big one,” Trump said as he signed the order. “People have wanted to do this for years…Mexico probably doesn’t want that. But we have to do what’s right.”
The order also floats possible usage of the Alien Enemies Act, which allows for the detention or swift deportation of citizens of designated countries based only on their nationality.
A a proclamation declaring a national emergency at the southern border will allow the Trump administration to deploy Pentagon forces and resources to help complete construction of the border wall. The same order also allows for greater military surveillance at the border, including the use of unmanned aerial systems.
An order deeming migration an “invasion” includes a number of provisions targeting those in the country unlawfully. It also seeks to boost detention capacity in the U.S. to house migrants — something that comes as Trump has argued migrants should not be released into the country while awaiting determinations on their immigration status.
“The Secretary of Homeland Security shall promptly take all appropriate action and allocate all legally available resources or establish contracts to construct, operate, control, or use facilities to detain removable aliens,” the order states.
The order directs the attorney general and others to “prioritize the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States.” It also kick-starts the controversial 287(g) program that partnered local law enforcement with immigration officials to help identify undocumented migrants.
It encourages greater scrutiny of so-called sanctuary cities, though it’s unclear what power the federal government has to combat such cities. It asks all immigrants to comply with a law requiring that they register their presence and also creates Homeland Security Task Forces in each state.
This order revokes Biden-era orders that directed the government to address the “root causes of migration” and another that created a family reunification task force to reconnect families separated by the first Trump administration.
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A separate order, titled, “Guaranteeing the states protection against the invasion,” deems the flow of migrants at the southern border an “invasion” and invokes presidential authority to effectively suspend the entry of migrants into the country.
“The President’s inherent powers to control the borders of the United States, including those deriving from his authority to control the foreign affairs of the United States, necessarily include the ability to prevent the physical entry of aliens involved in an invasion into the United States, and to rapidly repatriate them to an alternative location,” the order states.
Trump signed an order that called for increased vetting and screening of migrants entering the United States, citing national security concerns.
“To protect Americans, the United States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those aliens approved for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans or our national interests,” the order states.
“We have to set our country on the proper course,” Trump said of his immigration plans Sunday at a rally for supporters. “By the time the sun sets tomorrow evening, the invasion of our borders will have come to a halt, and all the illegal border trespassers will, in some form or another, be on their way back home.”
On Monday, Trump signed an order reversing Biden’s reversal of the climate agreement, as well as his orders on gender identity discrimination and ethics commitments.
He initiated the process to withdraw from the World Health Organization, which he did during his last administration before Biden reversed the move — and before Trump reversed Biden once more.