WASHINGTON – Donald Trump is expected to sign 10 executive orders shortly after his inauguration as the 47th president that will begin his crackdown on immigration at the southern border, future Trump officials said during a call with reporters early Monday morning.
Officials say the first order will likely be to declare a state of emergency at the southern border. On Monday morning, the details of the orders were not yet known.
“This action involves deploying military forces, erecting physical barriers by directing the secretaries of the (Department of Defense) and (Department of Homeland Security) to complete the wall along the border, and also enables a countermeasure to the (Unmanned Aircraft System) near the southern border,” he said incoming Trump official in the background. “Additionally, specifically directs the Secretary of Defense to deploy additional personnel in the event of a border crisis, including members of the armed forces and the National Guard.”
Trump’s decision to move forward with his immigration plans, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, completed her confirmation hearing last week and will likely come to a vote in the Senate in the coming days.
Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, was crushed by the Senate Democrats during his confirmation hearing, but is believed to be likely to be confirmed by Republicans when his nomination comes to the floor.
Additionally, the executive orders will clarify the U.S. military’s role in protecting U.S. territory, a Trump official said.
“This action establishes a mission to seal our borders and establishes campaign planning requirements for the military,” the official said. “The executive order directs the military to prioritize our borders and territorial integrity and to strategically plan its operations to maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States against all forms of invasion, including unlawful mass migration, drug trafficking, human smuggling, attacks, and other criminal activity.”
Some of the fresh administration’s actions will likely face immediate legal challenges. Officials have said they plan to end asylum – something legal under U.S. law – as well as birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed in the 14th Amendment and affirmed in 1898 United States Supreme Court case.
“The federal government will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States,” a Trump official said.
Some of the executive orders unveiled Monday would restore policies from the first Trump administration, such as the so-called Remain in Mexico policy.
Under this order, asylum seekers were required to remain in Mexico – often in hazardous circumstances – while their asylum cases were heard in the courts, a process that could take months or even years.
Another ordinance would restore the ban on the so-called catch-and-release, which allows detained migrants to live in U.S. communities while they wait for an immigration judge to hear their asylum case.
One of the implementing regulations will also designate cartel groups as global terrorists.
Another will suspend refugee resettlement operations for at least four months.
Another will direct the attorney general to impose the death penalty – the death penalty – for murders of law enforcement officers and capital crimes committed by people in the country without legal authority.
“This is about public safety and this is about the victims of the most brutal and violent criminals we have seen in our country,” a Trump official said. “And it will end today.”
Last updated at 1:00 PM, January 20, 2025
