Trump’s first week agenda: Hardline immigration policies to take centre stage

President-elect Donald Trump is eager to use his first week in office to assure his supporters that he is delivering on his core campaign promise: immigration reform.

However, he is unlikely to achieve some of his most sweeping Day One pledges — such as large-scale deportations and an immediate end to birthright citizenship — due to significant legal and logistical hurdles, as well as the need for Congressional support to enact new laws and funding.

Trump’s initial focus as he assumes the presidency on January 20 is to make a clear declaration: the border is closed to illegal crossings, and unauthorized individuals in the US, particularly those with criminal records, are not safe from deportation.

According to seven sources familiar with the planning, cited by Politico, Trump plans to issue a series of executive orders and actions aimed at reviving policies from his first term, dismantling Biden-era immigration policies, and empowering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take stronger action, per Caliber.Az.

“The message is that the era of open borders is over,” a source close to the planning stated. “Trump’s first week will set the tone for the hard-line immigration stance his supporters expect.”

Trump’s team is preparing to declare a national emergency to access additional resources and authority to secure the border and deport millions of undocumented immigrants, according to multiple sources. His early executive orders are expected to include:

• Ending Catch and Release: Migrants will no longer be released into US communities while awaiting immigration court hearings.
• Expanding Expedited Removal: This will streamline the deportation process for certain groups of undocumented immigrants.
• Restoring Remain in Mexico: Asylum seekers will once again be required to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed.

The administration is also considering designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations, a policy debated but not implemented during Trump’s first term.

Trump transition officials do not plan to immediately reinstate Title 42 — a public health measure used to expel migrants quickly — as it requires identifying a new health justification. Instead, the administration is working on measures to tighten asylum access further, restricting applications to official ports of entry and leveraging the Justice Department to fortify the legal framework.

A controversial executive order targeting birthright citizenship is also under consideration. The proposed order would deny citizenship to children born in the US to undocumented immigrants and short-term visitors. While the specifics are still being finalized, the proposal is expected to face immediate legal challenges.

Additionally, Trump plans to terminate the Biden administration’s humanitarian parole programs for residents of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, which allowed vetted individuals to enter the US legally with an American-based sponsor. The program has enabled more than 500,000 people to immigrate lawfully. Similar initiatives for Afghan refugees and family reunifications for other countries will also end.

Hard-line immigration advocates, including Steve Bannon, are pushing for a temporary moratorium on all immigration, including work and travel visas. This proposal faces internal debate, particularly regarding the H-1B visa program for skilled foreign workers, which has long divided Republicans.

“This administration is determined to avoid the mistakes of the past and push forward with the most ambitious immigration agenda in history,” said one official. “This is about putting Americans first.”

By Tamilla Hasanova