Trump’s Executive Orders: Reversing Biden-Era Policies and Shaping a New American Agenda
President Trump signs a series of executive orders rolling back Biden administration policies, from immigration to LGBTQ+ rights, outlining a new vision for the U.S.
President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders Tuesday during his first full day back in office, targeting key areas such as immigration, national security, and LGBTQ+ rights. Among the actions, Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, pardoned more than 1,000 individuals charged in the January 6, 2021, insurrection, and signed an order delaying TikTok’s ban until the platform can be sold to a U.S.-based company.
The sweeping measures also included withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization, and restricting federal recognition of gender to two sexes, “male” and “female,” based on reproductive anatomy.
Immigration Policy Overhaul
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, authorizing armed forces and military intervention to complete the border wall. He also called for deploying the National Guard to the region.
“To protect the security and safety of United States citizens, to protect each of the states against invasion, and to uphold my duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, it is my responsibility as president to ensure that the illegal entry of aliens into the United States via the southern border be immediately and entirely stopped,” Trump said in a White House statement.
The actions reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy, ending the “catch and release” practice that allowed undocumented immigrants to be released from detention while awaiting court hearings for their immigration cases. Following the policy's reinstatement, the CBP One app—developed by Customs and Border Protection to let undocumented immigrants request asylum—was shut down, affecting thousands of users. Reports from Reuters indicated that more than 280,000 people logged into the app daily.
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program was suspended until “such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.” Since the suspension, more than 1,660 Afghan refugees who had been cleared to immigrate to the U.S.—including family members of active-duty military personnel—had their flights canceled following the executive order.
Trump also ordered officials to begin designating cartels and international gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, including groups such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and MS-13, which originated in the United States. The designation invokes provisions of the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, a set of laws that included restrictions on immigration and speech, allowing the president to imprison and deport noncitizens and detain them during times of war.
An executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship—a constitutional right granting citizenship to anyone born in the United States—was signed Monday evening. The measure targets undocumented immigrants and has sparked a wave of lawsuits. The 14th Amendment, which guarantees birthright citizenship and granted citizenship to formerly enslaved Black-Americans, states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”
The lawsuits argue that the executive order violates the Constitution. Documents obtained by CNN show more than 18 states, including cities such as Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, have joined the legal challenge.
“The president has no authority to rewrite or nullify a constitutional amendment or duly enacted statute. Nor is he empowered by any other source of law to limit who receives United States citizenship at birth,” the lawsuit states.
Trump’s executive order also directed federal agencies to stop issuing citizenship documents starting in February to U.S.-born children of undocumented mothers and mothers in the country on temporary visas—if the father is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Pardons and January 6
More than 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection have been pardoned by President Trump. Among those pardoned were 14 individuals whose prison sentences were commuted, including people convicted of assaulting police officers. Attorney General James McHenry was directed to dismiss approximately 450 pending indictments related to what had been the largest investigation in the history of the Justice Department.
During a White House press conference on Tuesday, Trump defended his decision.
“They’ve served years in jail they should not have served, and they’ve served years in jail. Murderers don’t even go to jail in this country,” Trump said.
More than 200 people convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement. Many others were charged with misdemeanor trespassing, and more than 700 people served time in jail.
Former police officer Michael Fanone, who was shocked with a stun gun during the attack—a blow that caused him to lose consciousness and suffer a heart attack—reacted with dismay upon hearing of the pardons.
“This is what the American people voted for; how do you react to something like that?” Fanone told the Associated Press.
Members of far-right extremist groups were among those released, including Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, head of the Oath Keepers. Tarrio and Rhodes had been serving 22- and 18-year sentences, respectively, for their roles in the Capitol attack. Tarrio, who received the longest sentence of any Jan. 6 participant despite not being at the Capitol, was convicted in September 2023 for seditious conspiracy.
Concerns have emerged that Trump’s pardons have emboldened far-right groups such as the Oath Keepers. Members of the Proud Boys told Reuters that the pardons will likely bolster recruitment efforts.
“A lot of people stayed away from us after the arrests. Now they are going to feel like they are bulletproof,” said one Proud Boys member.
Many Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, dismissed criticisms of Trump’s actions. Thune pointed to former President Joe Biden’s last-minute pardons issued on his final day in office.
“Are you asking these questions of Biden?” Thune said in an interview with USA Today.
Biden’s final pardons included Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack.
LGBTQ+ Rights and Federal Employee Protections
President Donald Trump signed executive orders requiring the federal government to recognize only two sexes: male and female. The orders mandate the use of the term “sex” instead of “gender” and state they will “defend women’s rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male.”
The decision reverses several Biden-era policies on LGBTQ+ rights, including a 2022 measure that allowed individuals to select the gender-neutral “X” as an option on passports.
“President Trump claims to be a strong proponent of freedom of speech, yet he is clearly committed to censorship of any information containing or related to LGBTQ Americans and issues that we face. This action proves the Trump administration’s goal of making it as difficult as possible for LGBTQ Americans to find federal resources or otherwise see ourselves reflected under his presidency,” Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD, said in a statement.
The executive orders also prohibit taxpayer funds from being used for gender-affirming care and require “privacy in intimate spaces,” ensuring that single-sex spaces such as prisons and rape shelters are designated based on assigned sex at birth rather than gender identity.
The measures prompted strong reactions from transgender and nonbinary Americans, many of whom emphasized the importance of continued advocacy for trans rights.
“Silence right now is not an option. I know it’s really easy to get sad and isolate because it feels like everyone’s against you, but this is the time to do the exact opposite. Trans people, queer people, and minorities have survived centuries, and the way we did that was with each other,” said Hunter Gromala, a nonbinary Kansas resident, in an interview with The Guardian.
Trump also signed executive orders aimed at federal employees, reinstating the “Schedule F” policy, which reclassifies thousands of federal employees as political appointees, making them easier to dismiss if their loyalty to the administration is questioned.
Affirmative action policies in government were repealed Tuesday, ending all federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The orders direct that all federal DEI staff be placed on paid leave and laid off by Wednesday.
“President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit-based society where people are hired based on their skills, not the color of their skin. This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Additionally, the executive orders mandate an end to remote work for federal employees, requiring a return to the office five days a week.
Environmental Policy Reversals
President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, the landmark 2016 treaty signed by multiple countries to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“I’m immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off. The United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity,” Trump said Monday.
The announcement follows 2024 being ranked the hottest year on record, with hurricanes devastating communities in the Southern and Appalachian regions and ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. Environmental advocacy groups condemned the decision, warning of the escalating impacts of climate change.
“Even now, we’re seeing these droughts, storms, heat waves, flooding, [and] sea level rise accelerating. It is just stunning already the kinds of impacts that are unfolding,” said Rachel Cleetus, policy director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, in a statement to NPR.
Data from Carbon Brief indicates the United States has emitted 20% of all greenhouse gases since the industrial revolution, the largest share globally.
The withdrawal process from the Paris Agreement will take one year, officially taking effect on Jan. 20, 2026.
The decision has drawn additional scrutiny as Trump also announced plans to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO), marking the second time he has called for the U.S. to leave the agency since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“World Health ripped us off. Everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump said Monday while signing the executive order.
Nearly one-fifth of WHO’s budget comes from U.S. contributions, making the country the agency’s largest funder, with a current budget of $6.8 billion.
Health experts expressed alarm over the decision in an interview with USA Today.
“This is going to be a grave strategic error that will make America less healthy and less safe. It’ll isolate us diplomatically, and it’ll isolate us in pandemic response,” said Lawrence Gostin, a global public health expert and faculty director of Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.
Withdrawing from the WHO could hinder responses to global health emergencies such as the Ebola outbreak or future pandemics.
“We hope that the United States will reconsider, and we really hope that there will be constructive dialogue for the benefit of everyone, for Americans but also for people around the world,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic in a statement to Reuters.
The United States has been a member of the WHO since its founding in 1948.
The executive actions outlined by President Trump mark a significant shift in U.S. policy, with potential implications for climate change, global health, LGBTQ+ rights, and federal employment practices. As these measures take effect, they are expected to prompt further debate and legal challenges, underscoring the ongoing divisions in American politics and policy priorities.