MurthySnapshot: President Trump’s Day 1 Executive Orders

On January 20, 2025, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States and issued a slew of executive orders and memoranda immediately after taking office, many of which are related to business and family-based immigration policy. Here are brief summaries of some of the key executive actions:

• An executive order titled Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, which ostensibly eliminates birthright citizenship from children born in the U.S. when neither parent is either a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. At least one lawsuit has already been filed challenging this executive order, and given that this right is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, it seems very likely that this executive order will be blocked by the courts.
• A memorandum directs administration officials to establish a trade policy prioritizing U.S. interests and American workers, and specifically includes reviewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which covers TN visa classification for Mexican and Canadian nationals.
• An executive order titled Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats mandates enhanced security screening for visa processes. Further, it gives administration officials 60 days to identify any countries from which vetting and screening information is so lacking that it is not possible to properly identify possible security threats, and therefore a partial or total travel ban may be warranted.
• An Executive Order to rescind many executive orders issued by former President Biden, including the order titled Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans, which directed the streamlining and improvement of many immigration processes and policies, including the public charge provisions.

Your Takeaway

As was the case during President Trump’s previous term in office, we expect frequent and significant changes to many immigration rules and policies over the next four years. We will continue to keep our readers up to date on any new developments from the Trump Administration, and those in need of specific advice are encouraged to schedule a consultation with one of our qualified immigration attorneys.

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