Images of immigrants crying in front of the wall built on the border between Mexico and the USA are circulating around the world. Thousands of them saw their residency application appointments canceled within minutes of Donald Trump’s inauguration. The new US president declared a national emergency at the border, using special presidential powers that allow him to make decisions independently without going through Congress.
In a series of orders signed the day he took office, Trump decided to close national borders against immigrants, persecute undocumented immigrants already on national territory, deploy the army at the border, and eliminate immigrants. exactly.
Executive orders have lofty titles such as Protecting the American People from Invasion, Securing Our Borders, Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security Threats, and Clarifying the Military’s Role in Protecting the Territorial Integrity of the United States, preserving its meaning and value. American citizenship.
What are executive orders and how do they work?
Executive orders are measures by which the president exercises his authority without going through Congress; They are a kind of our decrees. These orders have the force of law and remain in effect until revoked, repealed, blocked or expired.
As in his first term, Trump relied on the National Emergencies Act, a post-Watergate law that allows the president to declare a national emergency, thus strengthening his executive powers. In this case, the national emergency interpretation is quite vague and the laws could be challenged by Congress.
The House and Senate could pass a joint resolution to end the emergency if they think the president has overstepped his authority, but Republicans control both chambers, so that’s unlikely to happen. But the orders will face heavy legal challenges, but in the meantime they will go into effect whether their opponents like it or not.
No more permission
One of the Trump administration’s first actions was to shut down a government program created by Joe Biden that allowed immigrants to make appointments to be admitted to the United States through legal entry points through an app.
The disabling of the program, known as CBP One, threw about 30,000 immigrants who already had appointments into limbo. The Republican then decided to block asylum seekers and close the border to those seeking protection in the country, arguing that irregular crossings posed a national security and public health problem.
Immigrants waiting for their CBP1 parole appointments at 13:00 in Ciudad Juárez learned that the application was closed 20 minutes ago and these appointments were no longer valid. pic.twitter.com/F3pNrZyEBR
— Arelis R. Hernández (@arelisrhdz) January 20, 2025
To do so, he also signed an order giving the military a direct role in enforcing immigration and instructing the Department of Defense to develop a plan “to close borders and protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the United States, repelling forms of invasion.” “. However, this directive may conflict with an 1870 law. Posse Comitatus AcThis generally limits the use of regular federal troops for domestic policing purposes.
That’s enough ius soli
Trump also wants to remove it exactlyThis is the rule that has always governed the ability of children of immigrants or anyone on US soil to acquire citizenship in the country. The Republican decided that his government would no longer treat all children born in the United States as citizens; This would amount to an amendment to the 157-year-old 14th Amendment, a move that exceeds his authority and has already prompted legal action. By the American Civil Liberties Union.
In violation of the Constitution, Trump ordered federal agencies to deny citizenship certificates to children born in the United States to a mother who is undocumented or has a temporary visa if the father is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Although he does not officially eliminate the right to citizenship by refusing documents, he actually denies it.
Travel Restrictions
The president later signed an executive order ending “catch and release,” the practice of releasing immigrants into the United States after crossing the border to await trial, although it was unclear how he would do so. “Anyone who enters the United States without permission risks prosecution and deportation,” Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff and the architect of his anti-immigration agenda, wrote in X.
All illegal aliens seeking to enter the United States must now turn back. Anyone entering the United States without permission will face prosecution and deportation.
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) January 20, 2025
Finally, Trump also expressed the possibility of imposing a travel ban, as in his first term. He directed his administration to take 60 days to identify countries where comprehensive screening of visitors and visa applicants is not possible and poses a potential national security risk. In these cases, the administration should consider barring, in whole or in part, the admission to the United States of persons from these countries.
Source: Today IT

Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.