On his first day in office, President Donald Trump began undoing the damage at the southwest border.
Some of his first executive orders included declaring a national emergency at the border, establishing a process to designate cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and protecting America from invasion.
The national emergency declaration allows for deployment of the Armed Forces and National Guard to support border security operations. It also demands the construction of physical barriers on the border.
Another order focused on stopping the abuse of the U.S. Refugee Admission Program by temporarily suspending it, pending review by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The secretary is then expected to report the findings to the president. The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security will be able to jointly admit refugees on a case-by-case basis during the review.
Trump’s order entitled “Securing Our Borders” reinstated the Migrant Protection Protocols, known colloquially as the Remain in Mexico policy. This policy required certain asylum seekers arriving at the U.S. southern border to wait in Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings.
The order also mandated the construction and operation of detention facilities near the southern border to detain illegal aliens, directed the hiring of 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents, and emphasized the prosecution of criminal immigration offenses.
One executive order focused on the national security threat posed by terrorists. It directed the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, to “re-establish a uniform baseline for screening and vetting standards and procedures” and evaluate visa programs to ensure they are not exploited by foreign actors to harm U.S. interests. It also authorized immediate steps to exclude or remove aliens who pose security threats.
Another executive order clarified the definition of birthright citizenship to state that children born in the United States to illegal alien parents will not automatically receive U.S. citizenship. However, that order is expected to be challenged immediately in federal courts under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Trump also rescinded several Biden-era executive orders that had undone his first administration’s border policies. The Trump policies had strengthened vetting of refugees and enforced immigration laws internally by withholding federal funds from local agencies that refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement.
Texans celebrated Trump’s inauguration as well as his promise of a golden age.
Trump’s “America First” priorities also include building the long-awaited border wall, terminating asylum for foreign nationals illegally in the United States, targeting sanctuaries for criminal aliens and ramping up screening processes.
“President Trump’s deportation operation will address the record border crossings of criminal aliens under the prior administration,” according to the White House.
Trump has also indicated that the U.S. Department of Justice will be tasked with seeking out the death penalty for illegal aliens who injure or kill American citizens.
These priorities are in line with a slew of other promises Trump made over the course of his presidential campaign. Known as “day one” promises, Trump is expected to continue fulfilling his border security pledges.
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