President Donald J. Trump returned to the White House this Monday. As part of his agenda and campaign promises, he has pledged to enact many policies and executive orders. Here are some of the ones he has enacted in his first few days in office.
Immigration Policies
One of Trump’s largest campaign promises has been to deport undocumented immigrants and to curb illegal immigration. In order to achieve this, Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency at the United States-Mexico border, as well as ordering an end to refugee admissions for at least four months and designating foreign gangs and cartels such as Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as terrorist organizations. Trump will also reinstate the Remain In Mexico Program, which was ended by former President Joe Biden. The program forced Non-Mexican asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their cases were being resolved. Trump has tried to end birthright citizenship for children born under undocumented immigrants, however, a judge blocked that executive order on Jan. 23.
Environmental Policies
As part of his policy plans, Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement. The Paris Climate Agreement is a coalition of over 180 nations that have agreed to reduce emissions in order to prevent global temperatures from rising. Trump had previously withdrawn from the agreement in his first term. However, former President Joe Biden had rejoined the agreement. Furthermore, he signed an executive order to open up swaths of land to offshore drilling. Many of these restrictions were put in place by the Biden Administration. Trump has added restrictions towards the development of wind energy, including halting new permits and loans for wind energy.
Pardons for Jan 6.
Trump issued over 1,400 pardons for those convicted of participating in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The insurrection led to one of the largest FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) investigations ever. These pardons have been part of Trump’s campaign promises. The charges of those participating range from low-level crimes such as trespassing to felonies such as assault on a law enforcement officer. Approximately 700 of those pardoned had not received a prison sentence or had already finished their sentence, meaning the pardon will have a minimal impact on them.
Economic and Tariff Policies
Trump has signed an executive order mandating the review and overhaul of trade policies, to investigate unfair trade practice and to establish an External Revenue Service. This service will be poised to manage collection of tariffs and other foreign fees. Following this decision, his administration will enact a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada beginning on Feb. 1. Although the tariffs could raise revenue for the U.S., the price hikes will most likely be passed on to consumers. One of Trump’s largest campaign promises has been to curb inflation and decrease the cost of living. However, the impact of these tariffs could potentially lead to the opposite effect.
