Trump Administration's First Two Weeks
President Donald Trump, who assumed office on January 20, 2025, has moved swiftly to enact restrictive immigration policies, citing a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. His administration has issued a series of executive orders aimed at curbing illegal immigration, cracking down on asylum processes, and enhancing national security.
Below is a summary of the key immigration-related actions President Trump has taken.
Border Security with Military Support: Trump has declared a national emergency to stop the “influx of illegal aliens” at the U.S.-Mexico border. His administration has authorized the use of military personnel to assist with border enforcement and has called for physical barriers, technology, and enhanced personnel to seal the border.
The administration also has reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico during the adjudication of their cases, and has disabled the CBP One mobile app that helped certain vulnerable foreign nationals schedule entry appointments at the border. Existing appointments were cancelled.
Finally, the administration has begun aggressive enforcement actions targeting foreign nationals who are unlawfully present in the United States, particularly those with criminal records. This includes large-scale deportations and arrests, with over 5,500 arrests in the first week of enforcement.
Humanitarian Parole Programs Terminated: Trump terminated several humanitarian parole programs, including a Biden-era initiative that allowed nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. temporarily. The "Uniting for Ukraine" program has also been paused. For those who are already in the United States under one of these humanitarian programs, the likelihood of their status being extended beyond their current period of authorized stay seems uncertain. The administration has indicated it is reviewing all parole programs at this time.
The fate of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) programs, notably for residents of Hong Kong, which was extended by two years a day before Biden left office, also remains unclear.
On February 1, 2025, the Trump administration suddenly terminated Temporary Protected Status ("TPS") for nationals of Venezuela, which has been in effect since March 9, 2021 and which is different from the humanitarian parole program noted above. TPS-related benefits, such as work authorization and travel permission, will no longer be in effect within 60 days of the agency's official announcement of the program's end in the Federal Register.
Visa Vetting and Possible Travel Bans: Under Trump’s Executive Order, Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats, more stringent vetting of all visa applicants will be implemented to protect the national interests of the United States. Foreign nationals already in the United States should also be “screened to the maximum degree possible.” Finally, the EO orders key federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State, to determine which countries are “security risks” in the next 60 days and whose nationals may need to be banned from entering the United States. Countries from which information for screening and vetting purposes “is so deficient” would qualify as “security risks.”
Birthright Citizenship: President Trump signed an Executive Order limiting birthright citizenship, stating that children born to mothers who are here unlawfully or who are here lawfully but temporarily, such as visitors, students and workers, would not qualify for US citizenship unless their father is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. This Executive Order is currently blocked from taking effect because 22 states challenged the EO as unconstitutional.
While these changes are sweeping, areas like employment and family-based visas have not been directly targeted yet. That said, Trump is pushing to reduce the size of the federal workforce, offering buyouts to federal employees who do not want to return to office work. Fewer government officers combined with stringent vetting requirements will likely lead to delays in processing times for most visas and immigration-related benefits.
This alert is for informational purposes. Please contact us if you would like to discuss these developments further.