US President Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders, marking the start of his presidency with an assertive display of power aimed at reversing key policies on immigration, the environment, and diversity initiatives, according to The New York Times.
The orders also reinstated elements of Trump’s earlier agenda, including expanding drilling and mining on natural resources, while reshaping the United States’ role as a sanctuary for refugees and immigrants. This wave of executive actions primarily seeks to dismantle many of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s signature domestic policies, particularly in areas of climate and immigration.
Trump said he was also revoking almost 80 “disruptive, radical executive actions of the previous administration” in a speech on Monday evening.
The revoked Biden orders included directives that the federal government rebuild the refugee programme, and gradually end the Justice Department’s use of private prisons.
It is important to note that some of Trump’s orders are almost certain to be challenged in court, and others will be largely symbolic.
However, taken together, they represent his intention to sharply turn away from the direction of the Biden administration. It is also to make good on his campaign promises to break what he and his aides cast as a “deep state” effort to thwart his agenda.
Following are some of the orders Trump signed on his first day in office:
Federal work force
The president directed to freeze federal hiring, except for members of the military or “positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety.”
He also ordered the restoration of a category of federal workers known as Schedule F, which would lack the same job protections enjoyed by career civil servants.
Immigration and the border
The president announced plans to bar asylum for individuals newly arriving at the southern border and expressed support for ending birthright citizenship, currently protected under the 14th Amendment, for children of undocumented immigrants.
In addition, he ordered the termination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.) programs across the federal government, emphasizing the recognition of only two sexes: male and female. The directive also includes the removal of protections for transgender individuals in federal prisons.
Tariffs and trade
Trump ordered to direct federal agencies to begin an investigation into trade practices, including persistent trade deficits and unfair currency practices, as well as examine flows of migrants and drugs from Canada, China and Mexico to the United States.
Energy and the environment
The Republican issued order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, the pact among almost all nations to fight climate change.
TikTok ban
Additionally, he directed to consult federal agencies on any national security risks posed by the social media platform, then “pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans.”
