In President Donald Trump’s first few weeks back in office, he has signed more than 40 executive orders. Here are some with the most impact.
Gender affirming care
On Trump’s first day in office, he signed an executive order defining gender classifications as only male and female. The order rejects that people can transition between genders and that there are only two sexes. The order demands that this is reflected on all official documents.
Additionally, Trump has signed an executive order in an attempt to ban gender transitions for individuals under 19. The order declares that it aims to limit the destruction of life-altering procedures. The policy states that the government will not fund, promote or assist in a child’s transition from one sex to another. This prevents federally-run insurance programs from covering this type of care.
Immigration
One of Trump’s biggest campaign promises was to address immigration in America and on his first day in office, Trump followed through by declaring a national emergency at the southern border of the U.S. He also promised a mass deportation of immigrants who are in the country illegally.
As ICE raids have persisted since Trump’s inauguration, Trump has issued another executive order to prepare the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to be used as a detention center. Another executive order currently on hold, aims to revoke birthright citizenship in America. This means that people born in the U.S. would no longer automatically be allowed citizenship.
Tariffs on Canada and Mexico
Trump has followed through on his promise to place tariffs on imports from America’s biggest trading partners citing concerns for drug trafficking and national security. Trump signed the executive orders on Saturday and they were expected to go into effect on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Trump administration had come to an agreement with the Mexican President and Canadian Prime Minister to implement additional border security measures and in return, the 25% tariff would be postponed for 30 days.
Trump has also implemented a 10% tariff for goods imported from China, which went into effect on Tuesday. In retaliation, China has put additional regulatory measures on American goods.
Federal Funding Pause
The Trump administration has also issued a pause on federal funding. Some of the programs affected by this freeze are Meals on Wheels programs, colleges and universities, the National Science Foundation and many other nonprofit organizations.
U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan issued an order pausing Trump’s plan to freeze federal spending. The administration has since been rescinded by the administration, yet many nonprofits are still unable to access funding. During the confusion, the FAFSA form used to apply for financial aid for students in higher education, remained available.
jhammer@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @realdonaldtrump, Instagram
