Trump set to unleash executive order blitz in second term

When asked during the election campaign if he planned to be a dictator, Donald Trump responded that he would only be one on the first day. Although he later explained it was a joke, it appears that he will begin his second term with significant decrees.

According to Fox News, on the first day of his presidency, Trump intends to apply a "shock and awe" strategy—similar to the U.S. military strategy during the first Gulf War—by issuing a substantial number of executive orders and directives. Stephen Miller, one of the president's closest advisors, stated that border restrictions would be a priority, and the president aims to issue over 100 executive orders.

The President plans to enact a sweeping border security initiative through executive orders, described as the most extensive in U.S. history. These measures aim to completely seal the southern border, stop illegal immigration, implement widespread deportations of undocumented individuals and criminals, and address the threat posed by criminal cartels by systematically dismantling transnational street gangs, according to Miller's statement on Fox News.

According to Politico, most of the initial decisions will restore policies from his first term, including further restrictions on asylum applications. However, the report emphasises that Trump will not be able to reinstate one of the main elements immediately, the so-called Title 42, which involves the automatic rejection of asylum applications based on a declared state of epidemic threat.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the first immigration raids on illegal immigrants are set to begin as early as Tuesday, starting in Chicago. Although the operation's target is immigrants who have encountered legal issues, the raids will also detain other individuals illegally residing in the U.S. who are present during the raids.

Despite this, the "border czar" directing the deportation initiative, Tom Homan, reportedly tempered expectations in private conversations with congress members about the scale of this operation, which Trump has billed as the "largest deportation action in American history." He pointed out logistical constraints and the capacity of detention centres, among other issues.

Among the most controversial actions announced by Trump and his team is breaking with the principle of soil rights (ius soli), i.e., acquiring citizenship by being born on U.S. soil. Democrats argue that this change would be unconstitutional, as the 14th Amendment to the Constitution addresses it. According to Politico, Trump is considering revoking this right for children of illegal immigrants and foreigners residing in the U.S. for a short time.

Another priority for Trump is the removal of regulations related to oil extraction on lands belonging to federal authorities. In this context, the U.S. is also expected to withdraw again from the Paris climate agreement.

Among the actions announced by the new president for the first day is the imposition of new tariffs, though details are still unknown. Trump threatened to impose tariffs of 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% on goods from China—the three largest trading partners of the U.S.—if efforts to curb drug smuggling and illegal migration are not improved. The governments of neighbouring countries have announced actions in this regard, but it is unclear if they will be sufficient to avoid the tariffs. Regardless, Trump also plans to reduce foreign aid programmes drastically.

According to Miller, among Trump's first hundred actions will be executive orders concerning the workings of the federal bureaucracy, including ending teleworking possibilities for federal employees.