President Trump will begin issuing a flurry of executive orders including measures to crack down on immigration and dismantle diversity initiatives in the federal government, his team told reporters, starting his presidency with a vigorous use of power intended to signal a sharp reversal of existing policies.
Trump will also act unilaterally to end regulations aimed at encouraging the sale of electric vehicles enacted by the Biden administration; roll back protections for transgender students; and suspend the resettlement of refugees for at least four months, they said.
The wave of executive actions is an effort to reverse many of President Biden’s most significant domestic policies, primarily on climate and immigration, while reimposing a Trump agenda that would launch drilling and mining of natural resources and fundamentally undermine the United States’ global role as a sanctuary for refugees and immigrants.
Here are some of the main measures
Immigration and the Border
– Close the border to migrants seeking asylum.
– Declare an end to birthright citizenship, a guarantee granted by the 14th Amendment, for the children of undocumented immigrants. The president cannot change the Constitution alone, so it is still unclear how Trump plans to withhold citizenship benefits from a group of people born in the United States. The measure is almost certain to be challenged in court.
– Involve U.S. military in border security. This would create immediate legal challenges due to strict limits in American law on how the armed forces can be mobilized within the country.
– Declare immigrant crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border a national emergency, which would allow Trump to unilaterally unlock federal funding for the construction of the border wall, without Congressional approval, for stricter enforcement efforts.
– Designate drug cartels as “global terrorists.”
Federal Workforce
– End remote work policies and order many agencies to return to the office 4 to 5 days a week.
Gender and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives
– Establish definitions of biological sex for federal employees and as part of the revised Title IX guidance for schools.
– Remove protections for transgender people in federal prisons.
– Remove protections for transgender immigrants in U.S. custody.
Tariffs and Trade
– Direct federal agencies to initiate an investigation into trade practices, including trade deficits, unfair currency practices, counterfeit products, and a special exemption that allows low-value products to enter the United States tariff-free.
– Assess China’s compliance with a trade agreement Trump signed in 2020, as well as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which Trump signed in 2020 to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.
– Order the government to assess the feasibility of creating an “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs and fees.
Energy and Environment
– Declare a national energy emergency, which may allow Trump to unlock powers to expedite the approval of pipelines and power plants.
– Order the federal government to roll back regulations that hinder domestic energy production.
– Signal an intention to loosen emissions limits and fuel economy standards.
– Roll back energy efficiency regulations for dishwashers, showers, and gas stoves.
– Increase oil and gas drilling in Alaska.
– Eliminate environmental justice programs across the government, aimed at protecting poor communities from excessive pollution.
Delay the TikTok Ban
Trump promised on Sunday (19) to issue an executive order to give ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, more time to find a buyer and comply with a law that prohibits the app in the United States.
Source: The New York Times