Washington, D.C. – On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump commenced his second term by signing a series of executive orders aimed at reshaping federal policies across various sectors. These actions signal a return to several initiatives from his previous tenure and introduce new directives reflecting his administration’s priorities.
National Security
A proclamation titled “Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion,” emphasizing the federal government’s duty to safeguard state borders against unauthorized entry.
The proclamation underscores the constitutional responsibility of the federal government to protect states from invasion, referencing the Supreme Court’s acknowledgment of this duty. It highlights the challenges posed by significant information gaps and processing times, which hinder federal officials’ ability to verify the criminal records or national security risks of individuals illegally entering the United States. The presence of international cartels and transnational criminal organizations near the southern border further exacerbates these risks.
President Trump’s proclamation directs federal agencies to take all appropriate actions to ensure the protection of states against invasion, including the deployment of military personnel and the construction of physical barriers where necessary. It also calls for enhanced cooperation with state and local authorities to address the challenges posed by illegal immigration and to restore operational control over the southern border.
This action aligns with President Trump’s broader immigration policy initiatives aimed at strengthening border security and enforcing immigration laws to protect national sovereignty and public safety.
Another executive order designates certain international cartels and transnational organizations, including Tren de Aragua (TdA) and La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
This order highlights the significant threat these groups pose to U.S. national security, citing their involvement in violent activities, drug trafficking, and destabilization efforts within the Western Hemisphere. By classifying these entities as FTOs and SDGTs, the U.S. government aims to enhance its ability to disrupt their operations through measures such as financial sanctions and legal actions.
An additional order related to national security is titled “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.”
The order emphasizes the need for stringent vetting processes to prevent individuals who may pose security threats from entering or residing in the United States.
It directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, to:
- Identify resources to enhance the vetting of all aliens seeking admission or currently present in the U.S.
- Determine necessary information from foreign countries to assess visa and immigration benefits applications.
- Reinstate uniform screening and vetting standards consistent with those in place on January 19, 2021.
- Focus on individuals from regions or nations with identified security risks.
Within 60 days, these officials are required to submit a report to the President identifying countries with deficient information-sharing practices that may warrant partial or full suspension of their nationals’ admission to the U.S.
The order also mandates the exclusion or removal of aliens identified as security threats, unless such actions would interfere with significant investigations or national security interests.
Additionally, the Secretary of State is tasked with evaluating and adjusting existing regulations and policies related to grounds of inadmissibility within 30 days.
This executive order reflects the administration’s commitment to safeguarding national security through enhanced immigration controls and interagency collaboration.
Social Policy Issues
an executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.”
This order aims to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives implemented during the previous administration, which it describes as promoting “illegal and immoral discrimination.”
Key directives include:
Termination of DEI Programs: The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in collaboration with the Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is tasked with coordinating the elimination of all DEI-related mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities within the federal government.
Review and Revision of Employment Practices: The Director of OPM, with assistance from the Attorney General, is instructed to review and revise existing federal employment practices, union contracts, and training policies to ensure compliance with the executive order. Employee performance evaluations are to be based solely on individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work, excluding any DEI considerations.
Agency Responsibilities: Within 60 days, heads of federal agencies and departments, in consultation with the Attorney General, Director of OMB, and Director of OPM, must:
Terminate all DEI, DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility), and “environmental justice” offices and positions, including “Chief Diversity Officer” roles, as well as related action plans, initiatives, programs, grants, and contracts.
Provide the OMB Director with a comprehensive list of existing DEI-related positions, committees, programs, services, activities, budgets, and expenditures as of November 4, 2024, and assess whether any have been rebranded to preserve their original functions.
Identify federal contractors and grantees involved in providing DEI training or advancing DEI programs since January 20, 2021.
Assess the operational impact and costs associated with prior DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” programs and policies, and recommend actions to align agency activities with the new policy emphasizing equal dignity and respect. This executive order reflects the administration’s commitment to eliminating DEI initiatives, asserting that such programs constitute wasteful spending and promote discrimination.
In addressing the controversial topics around women’s rights, transgender issues, and gender ideology President Trump issued an executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
The order addresses concerns about ideologies that deny the biological reality of sex, allowing individuals to self-identify and access single-sex spaces and activities intended for women. It asserts that such practices undermine women’s dignity, safety, and well-being, and erode public trust in government policies.
The executive order establishes that the United States will recognize only two immutable sexes, male and female. Key definitions include:
- Sex: An individual’s unchangeable biological classification as male or female, distinct from the concept of gender identity.
- Women/Girls: Adult and juvenile human females, respectively.
- Men/Boys: Adult and juvenile human males, respectively.
- Female: A person belonging, from conception, to the sex that produces large reproductive cells.
- Male: A person belonging, from conception, to the sex that produces small reproductive cells.
- Gender Ideology: A belief system that replaces the biological concept of sex with a subjective sense of gender identity, suggesting that individuals can identify as a different sex than their biological one.
- Gender Identity: An internal, subjective sense of self, disconnected from biological sex, existing on a continuum, and not recognized as a replacement for sex.
The order directs federal agencies and employees to:
- Enforce laws protecting sex-based rights, ensuring recognition of men and women as biologically distinct.
- Interpret terms related to sex (e.g., male, female, men, women) according to the definitions provided in the order.
- Within 30 days, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is tasked with providing guidance to the government and public on these sex-based definitions.
This executive order reflects the administration’s commitment to policies based on the recognition of biological sex, aiming to protect women’s rights and maintain clarity in federal regulations.
The President issued a host of other executive orders crossing an array of areas in foreign and domestic affairs. Many of these orders reflect areas of focus from the campaign trail. There may be various forms of pushback from states and political groups on these orders as many of these topics have been deeply controversial.
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