Donald Trump To Announce Sweeping Immigration Reforms

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President-elect Donald Trump is set to announce sweeping immigration reforms later today, which include signing 10 executive orders aimed at tightening border security and cracking down on illegal immigration.

Newsweek obtained details on four of the 10 executive orders Trump is expected to sign regarding border security and immigration following his inauguration.

The executive orders will include deploying U.S. troops to the southern border, ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, dismantling programs initiated under President Joe Biden, and taking steps to target transnational criminal gangs, incoming White House officials told reporters in a press call.

Why It Matters

The announcements, which mark a cornerstone of Trump's immigration policy agenda, are expected to begin during his inaugural speech, with additional executive orders being unveiled throughout the day at the White House.

What To Know

Incoming White House officials told Newsweek the incoming administration will declare a national emergency at the southern border later today.

"As such, the President and his team today will immediately prioritize tackling the national security and public safety threats that have resulted from our open border. So here are some of the things that we're doing to rectify this. Today, specifically, number one, we are going to declare a national emergency at the border," the official said.

Trump will instruct the Secretary of Defense to deploy members of the armed forces and National Guard to the area. The exact number of personnel required remains uncertain and will be determined by the Defense Secretary, according to an incoming White House official.

The order will mandate the deployment of U.S. troops to the border under the direction of U.S. Northern Command. It will instruct the military to prioritize the nation's borders and territorial integrity in its strategic operations planning.

Incoming officials announced that Trump will issue executive orders suspending refugee resettlement for four months and eliminating the option for migrants to claim asylum by establishing a removal process without the possibility of asylum.

Additionally, he will direct the Attorney General to pursue the death penalty for the murder of law enforcement officers and for capital crimes committed by illegal immigrants, according to officials

In a single order, Trump plans to instruct the federal government to promptly resume construction of the border wall, a project that largely halted under the Biden administration. The directive will also terminate Biden-era parole policies, including the use of the CBP One app to grant parole to migrants entering the U.S., as well as the parole programs for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV). These programs permitted 30,000 individuals from these countries to fly into the U.S. each month under parole. To date, nearly 1.5 million migrants have been admitted through CHNV and the CBP One app.

This executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to complete the construction of the border wall and deploy personnel to establish operational control.

Additionally, Trump will order the reinstatement of the controversial "Remain in Mexico" policy, requiring asylum-seekers to await U.S. court decisions outside the country. The order also aims to end "catch and release" practices, a key point of contention in past immigration debates.

Trump will designate international cartels and criminal organizations such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under another executive order.

These groups will be declared a national security threat, invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to disrupt their operations.

The FTO designation enables targeted actions, including financial sanctions and legal penalties for individuals or entities supporting these organizations. Under these measures, financial institutions must report any funds linked to these groups to the Treasury Department.

The orders will be three of the anticipated 10 border-related executive actions that Trump is set to sign on Monday.

This marks an indication the incoming administration will carry out a hard-line immigration agenda, which was a central campaign pledge, as Trump vowed to secure the southern border and initiate a historic mass deportation program.

What People Are Saying

An incoming White House official told Newsweek: "What this action does is it deploys armed forces, erects physical barriers by directing DOD and DHS secretaries to finish the wall along the border, and allows for counter-UAS capabilities near the southern borders in addition.

"Specifically, it directs the Secretary of Defense to deploy additional personnel to the border crisis, including members of the armed forces and the National Guard."

"We're going to end catch-and-release, reinstate remain-in-Mexico, and build the wall.

"We're going to designate criminal cartels and others as FTOs and specifically designated global terrorists. This initiates a process that will lead to the designation of the cartels, like the Tren de Arauga, and MS-13, as FTOs and/or specifically designated global terrorists."

"It directs the removal of Tren de Araujo gang members, and it finds under the Alien Enemies Act that the gang is an irregular armed force of Venezuela's government conducting a predatory incursion and invasion into the United States."

"We are then going to end birthright citizenship. (6:10) This action gives effect to the phrase, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, in the 14th Amendment, to clarify that, on a perspective basis, the federal government will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States.

"We are also going to enhance the vetting and screening of illegal aliens.

"We are going to direct agencies to report to the president regarding recommendations for the suspension of entry for nationals of any country of particular concern.

An anonymous Trump administration official told Fox News: "This executive order sends a clear message that the United States intends to exercise its sovereignty over its land and borders and that the Armed Forces have a role to play in protecting our borders."