President Donald Trump was sworn into office on Jan. 20 and, following the inauguration, signed 26 executive orders into law. These orders include issues such as immigration, climate policies, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights and more.
Foreign policies
One of the biggest platforms Trump ran on during the election was anti-immigration. Day one of his Presidency, he signed an executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border of the U.S.
This has led to an outbreak of ICE raids across the country, including officers now being able to make arrests in schools and churches, both of which were previously safe spaces for refugees.
In addition to this, he signed another order to “realign the United States refugee admissions program,” which led to its suspension, taking away the biggest resource for immigrants to come into the country legally.
The TikTok ban is something that has been discussed for years on the basis that American citizens who used it would be at risk of having their information stolen from foreign countries.
“I have the unique constitutional responsibility for the national security of the United States, the conduct of foreign policy, and other vital executive functions,” Trump said in the order.
Health and climate change
Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization, leaving American citizens, and people all over the world, worried about our planet.
One order was designed to help grow the economy while protecting the environment. It is called “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements”.
Despite saying there are efforts being made to protect the environment, the research shows just the opposite.
A team at NASA, including Bill Nelson, the administrator, has conducted an analysis to provide accurate information about the state of the Earth.
“Once again, the temperature record has been shattered – 2024 was the hottest year since record keeping began in 1880. Between record breaking temperatures and wildfires currently threatening [...] California, it has never been more important to understand our changing planet,” Nelson said.
Minority rights
Former President Biden set up programs known as DEI, or diversity, equity and inclusion. Trump dismantled these programs the day he was sworn into office.
“The Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, [...] The public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination,” Trump said.
DEI was set up to give all Americans equal opportunities, regardless of their backgrounds. Dismantling this program will take jobs and other opportunities away from many people, especially BIPOC.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community have also been targets of the executive actions, as Trump passed an order to only recognize two sexes: male and female.
Lilliann Lewis, a high school student in the Dayton area, shared why she is against this executive order.
“He’s so uneducated. Biologically, there’s more sexes than just male and female, on your birth certificate you can be labeled medically as intersex or unidentified,” Lewis said.
Many Americans are worried, as Trump has only signed more executive orders into law since his first day in office. It is crucial to stay informed and stay educated.
