Donald Trump will issue several executive orders aimed at reshaping the United States’ dealings with citizenship and immigration, he said Monday, minutes after his inauguration.
The 47th President will begin acting almost immediately with a series of presidential executive orders aimed at drastically reducing the number of immigrants entering the country.
“First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border,” Trump said.
“All illegal entry will be stopped immediately, and we will begin the process of returning millions of criminal aliens to the places from which they came.
He said, “I will send troops to the southern border to thwart a devastating attack on my country.”
Trump, who campaigned on a platform of curbing immigration and whose policies are popular among those troubled by changing demographics, wants to end the centuries-old practice of automatically granting citizenship to anyone born in the United States. Also intend to.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told reporters, “We’re going to end asylum and begin the process of immediate removal without the possibility of asylum. Then we’re going to end birthright citizenship.”
The notion of birthright citizenship is enshrined in the US Constitution, which entitles anyone born on US soil to a US passport.
Kelly said the steps Trump would take would “clarify” the 14th Amendment – the clause that addresses birthright citizenship.
“The federal government will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States,” he said.
Kelly said the administration would also reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy that was in place under the previous Trump administration.
Under that rule, people who apply to enter the United States at the Mexican border are not allowed to enter the country until their application is adjudicated.
“We’re going to … stay in Mexico and build the wall,” he said.
Kelly said Trump would also like to use the death penalty against noncitizens who commit major crimes, such as murder.
He said, “This is about national security. This is about public safety, and this is about the victims of some of the most violent, abusive criminals that we have seen enter our country in our lifetime, and this today ending in.”
Court challenges
Many of the executive actions Trump took during his first term were rescinded under Joe Biden, including the use of so-called Title 42, which was enacted to bar nearly all entry into the country on public health grounds due to COVID-19. Was implemented during the pandemic.
The changes under Biden have led to a surge in the influx of people coming to the United States and images of thousands of people packing into the border area.
Trump and his allies described this as Biden’s “open borders” policy, and regularly spoke of an “invasion.”
The incoming president repeatedly resorted to dark imagery about how illegal immigration is “poisoning the blood” of the country, words that opponents seized on as reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
Although American Presidents have a variety of powers, they are not unlimited.
Analysts say any attempt to change birthright citizenship would be fatal.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said the 14th Amendment was “absolutely clear” in granting citizenship to anyone born in the United States, except children of foreign diplomats.
“We have had birthright citizenship for centuries and no president can take it away by executive order,” he told AFP.
“We expect prompt court challenges.”
Reichlin-Malik said that all sides of the immigration debate agreed that the laws needed reform, but that the president’s orders were unlikely to achieve permanent change.
“Imposing new travel restrictions will make the U.S. legal immigration system even more complex and expensive and more difficult than ever to operate,” he said.
“Our immigration system is badly outdated, and executive actions aimed at further restricting it will harm the United States.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
