On the day of his inauguration, President Trump signed a flurry of executive orders to begin addressing the issues he campaigned on.  In total, he signed nearly 50 executive orders, official appointments, and other presidential declarations. Executive orders direct the president’s subordinates and agents what to do within a given sphere of presidential authority. They are official, binding declarations of the executive branch’s policy. Trump’s orders cover many issues, from immigration and border security to combatting so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (“DEI”) initiatives across the federal government. Some of the most notable include: a limit on birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens, the declaration of a national energy emergency, a halt on the TikTok ban, withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords and the WHO, and, while not an executive order, the pardoning of those charged with crimes relating to January 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol.

Here are President Trump’s Day 1 executive orders:

 Immigration and Border Security

“Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States.” All illegal entry will be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” Mr. Trump said. “I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”

Designating the Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations — creates an expedited process for designating several international cartels and criminal gangs (including Tren de Aragua and MS-13) as foreign terrorist organizations. It also directs several government departments to create plans to “ensure the total elimination” of these groups.

Executive Order “Securing Our Borders.” — declares the Trump Administration’s border policy priorities. These include “establishing a physical wall” at the southern border and “detaining” and “removing . . . all aliens who enter or remain” in the U.S. without legal permission.

“Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.” — announced the Trump administration’s understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment. The administration’s interpretation will limit birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens. Specifically, it interprets the Fourteenth Amendment to not extend automatic birthright citizenship to children born to a mother who is unlawfully (or only temporarily) present within the United States, and whose father is not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of the child’s birth. The order interprets the phrase from the Fourteenth Amendment “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” to not include children born to those located or residing in the United States illegally.

It also directs all departments, agencies, the cabinet secretaries, and the Attorney General to take all appropriate measures to ensure that regulations and policies adhere to this order. It states no department nor agency of the United States Government shall issue or accept documents recognizing citizenship to any of these persons.

This order will be among the most contentious orders the President has issued.  On January 21, eighteen states filed a federal lawsuit alleging that President Trump’s order violates the Fourteenth Amendment.

Sending the U.S. Military to the Southern Border. — requires the Secretary of Defense to use U.S. troops to “provide . . . southern border security.” These troops will be tasked with “repelling unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities.”

Suspending the U.S. Refugee Program.  — considering resource constraints and national security concerns, the Trump Administration will suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. That suspension will remain in place until, “such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.”

“Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” — reiterates and emphasizes the administration’s commitment to rigorously vet incoming aliens for terrorist ties and any other threats to U.S. national security.

“Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” — establishes several new policies to bring the border crisis under control. The order directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTFs) in all states nationwide. HSTFs will collaborate with state and local law enforcement to crack down on cartels and human trafficking.

The executive order also authorizes the following:

• The construction of new facilities to detain illegal aliens.
• Withholding of funding from and prosecution of so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.
• Denial of public benefits to illegal aliens.
• The hiring of additional ICE and Border Patrol agents.
• Repeal of several Biden Administration executive orders regarding illegal immigration.
• Re-establishment of the VOICE Office within ICE, which helps the victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens.
• Sanctions for countries which refuse to accept their citizens who illegally immigrated to the United States.

The Economy

Delivering “Price Relief” and Lowering the “Cost-of-Living”. — seeks to lower prices throughout the United States by requiring “all executive departments and agencies to deliver emergency price relief, consistent with applicable law.” It specifically seeks to find ways to reduce prices in housing, energy, healthcare, and home appliances.

The Administration’s Understanding of the OECD Global Tax Deal. — states that the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Tax Deal, entered into by the Biden Administration, is not legally binding for the United States. That deal seeks to set a minimum tax rate for multinational companies across national jurisdictions.

Trade and Tarriff Policy. — outlines many of Trump’s economic and trade policy priorities. It begins establishing an “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs on imports, reviews international trade deals to “ensure” benefits to “domestic workers and manufacturers,” and commissions studies on foreign currency manipulation, among other priorities.

Energy

“Declaring a National Energy Emergency.” — outlines the need for the United States to develop domestic energy sources and infrastructure. The order cites the pivotal role energy plays in cementing American economic and national security. It directs the relevant governmental departments to use emergency legal authorities to develop domestic energy sources and infrastructure on an expedited basis. President Trump justifies the federal actions ordered as part of this national emergency declaration under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) and 3 U.S.C. 310.

Expediting Alaskan Oil and Gas Drilling. — the Trump Administration will support the development of Alaska’s natural resources, including expediting the permitting process and development of oil and gas projects in the state.

“Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects.” — prevents any part of the Offshore Continental Shelf (OCS) from being considered for new or renewed leases for the purpose of wind energy production. It also directs the heads of federal agencies to not issue any new wind project permits or leases until they assess the economic and environmental costs of wind power projects.

“Unleashing American Energy.” — seeks to encourage energy production and exploration to help the U.S. economically and politically. The order directs agency heads to review prior agency actions that may place “undue burden” on the development or use of domestic energy, including actions that try to limit consumer choice for products like automobiles or appliances. This executive order also revoked twelve executive orders signed during the Biden Administration and abolished several energy-related offices established by those orders. The executive order also directed agencies involved in energy production to prioritize efficient permitting for energy projects. Another important aspect of the order was to direct agencies to discontinue using any “arbitrary or ideologically motivated” methods to assess the environmental effects of proposed actions or programs. This section of the order disbanded the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases, a group that was established under a Biden Administration EO whose guidance and recommendations about environmental impact underpinned many Biden Administration federal regulations. The executive order also directs all agencies to pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The order directs the agency heads to review how and for what reason money collected through those laws is distributed, and evaluate fund disbursal in accordance with the purpose of this executive order. Lastly, the order instructs the Secretary of Energy to review applications for liquified natural gas export projects based on national security and economic effects they would have for the U.S., and it directs agencies to revise agency action that contributes to “undue burdens” on domestic mineral production.

The Environment

“Putting America First In International Environmental Agreements.” — removes the United States from several international environmental agreements, including the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It also revokes and rescinds the U.S. International Climate Finance Plan.

“Putting People Over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California.” — directs the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of the Interior to restart work from Trump’s first Administration by federal agencies to “route more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of [California] for use by the people there who desperately need a reliable water supply.” The recent destructive wildfires and various droughts in the region in the past several years underscore why California needs an increased, reliable water supply.

Government Efficiency and Accountability

“Establishing and Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency.’” — President Trump will establish the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to “moderniz[e] Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.”  The order reorganizes and renames the United States Digital Service (USDS), a technology unit within the Executive Office of the President, to the United States DOGE Service (USDS). Within the USDS, a temporary organization known as the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization and multiple DOGE Teams will be established to help implement the President’s 18-month DOGE agenda.

Expediting White House Security Clearances.— expedites high-level security clearance processing for officials who work in the White House.

Federal Hiring Freeze — prohibits the hiring of any new federal employees throughout the executive branch until otherwise notified. The order grants exemptions for numerous agencies, however, including the military, immigration enforcement, or public safety agencies. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may also grant exceptions case-by-case.

“Holding Former Government Officials Accountable for Election Interference and Improper Disclosure of Sensitive Governmental Information.” — revokes the security clearances of around 50 former intelligence officials who published a report attempting to disprove the controversial “Hunter Biden laptop” scandal during the 2020 presidential election. It also revokes the security clearance of John Bolton, a national security advisor to President Trump during his first term. Trump’s order also instructs the Director of National Intelligence to investigate these events further.

“Reinstating “Schedule F” Federal Employees.” — reinstates the “Schedule F” policy from President Trump’s first term. It could reclassify thousands of executive branch employees in a way that would make them more accountable to the president and more easily terminable. It clarifies that federal employees are not “personally or politically [required to] support the current President or the policies of the current administration,” but they are required to implement them.

“Restoring Accountability for Career Senior Executives.” — outlines the Trump Administration’s understanding of executive power in relation to Career Senior Executive Service (SES) officials. It understands that, in keeping with the Constitution, “the executive Power” is entirely and solely vested within the president and that lower-level officials only exercise executive power at the president’s pleasure. Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Fin. Prot. Bureau, 591 U.S. 197, 203 (2020). Thus, the president has the authority to remove such officials at his pleasure to ensure democratic accountability.

“Return to In-Person Work.” — requires federal employees to return to in-person work, five days/week at their respective duty stations. Agency heads may make any necessary exemptions, however.

Temporary Regulatory Freeze. — suspends the promulgation and implementation of any new federal regulation until Trump-appointed department/agency heads have a chance to review them.

Justice and Civil Liberties

“Granting Pardons and Commutation of Sentences for Certain Offenses Relating to the Events At or Near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.” — President Trump granted pardons and commutations for those charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, protests at the U.S. Capitol. The Attorney General is ordered to drop any further pending indictments related to these events.

“Application of Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok.” — directs the Attorney General to pause enforcement of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, known colloquially as the “TikTok ban,” for 75 days to afford the new administration time to decide how it will address national safety concerns while trying to avoid shutting down TikTok.  It remains to be seen whether this order will be enough to provide a legal shield to corporations like Apple or Google who decide to place TikTok on their application platforms.

“Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety.” — President Biden placed a moratorium on federal use of the death penalty in 2021. This order reverses that Biden order, instead directing the Attorney General to “pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use,” as well as all federal capital crimes.

“Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government.” — makes it a policy of the United States to “identify and take appropriate action to correct past misconduct by the Federal Government related to the weaponization of law enforcement and the weaponization of the intelligence community,” particularly within the past four years.

Foreign Policy

“Withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization.” — President Trump issued an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO). The executive order states that the WHO continues to demand massive payments from the U.S., far out of proportion with other member states. “China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO.” President Trump also cites the WHO’s “mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic . . . its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”

“Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid.” — no further U.S. foreign assistance will be given unless it is aligned with the foreign policy of the president. The executive order requires that foreign aid disbursements be paused and that agency heads must review each foreign assistance program for which they are responsible within 90 days. After review, the agencies, with consultation from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, will make recommendations to continue, modify, or cease each program, with concurrence from the Secretary of State.

“America First Policy Directive to the Secretary of State.” — directs the Secretary of State to issue guidance to his department to put America and Americans first in the department’s foreign policy considerations.

“Organization of the National Security Council and Subcommittees.” — this National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-1) organizes the National Security Council (NSC), its leadership structure, and its various subcommittees, as well as designating the members of the NSC.

Ending DEI in the Federal Government

“Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” — directs U.S. agencies and departments to recognize two sexes, male and female. The order states “these sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” Under the Trump Administration, the Executive Branch will enforce all sex-protective laws in consistency with this reality. The order importantly reinforces that “‘[s]ex is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of ‘gender identity.’”

“Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” — ends the Biden Administration’s illegal and immoral discrimination programs within the Federal Government, including any “DEIA mandates, policies, programs, preferences, [or] activities…” Any such programs, as well as “environmental justice” offices and positions, must be terminated, to the maximum extent allowed by law.

“Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service.” — bans DEI hiring for the Federal Government. Agency heads are ordered to focus on merit rather than “impermissible factors, such as one’s commitment to illegal racial discrimination under the guise of ‘equity,’ or one’s commitment to the invented concept of ‘gender identity’ over sex.” The order also creates a Federal Hiring Plan that targets “only highly skilled Americans dedicated to the furtherance of American ideals, values, and interests.” The Plan streamlines the hiring process, capping the government-wide hiring timeline at under 80 days.

Miscellaneous

“Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture.” — President Trump directs the General Services Administration and other agencies to propose recommendations for ensuring that federal public buildings “respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage in order to uplift and beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States and our system of self-government.”

Renaming Geographical Features. — directs the Department of the Interior to return the name “Mount McKinley” to the nation’s tallest peak and to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” in federal databases. President Trump specifically praised President McKinley’s use of tariffs to strengthen the American economy and boost domestic manufacturing while critiquing former-President Obama’s decision to remove McKinley’s name from the mountain.

Rescinding Biden’s Executive Orders. — rescinds many of former-President Joe Biden’s executive orders and actions. The revoked orders touched nearly every aspect of the government’s operations from DEI-based hiring practices to soft-on-crime immigration measures to old COVID-19 pandemic response measures.

“Restoring Freedom Of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship.” — moves to “secure the right of the American people to engage in constitutionally protected speech,” and ensure that no federal employee or taxpayer resources are used to engage or facilitate any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of Americans. The order states that any such misconduct by the previous administration will be identified and corrected.