Trump ends automatic citizenship of children born in country to non-citizen parents; Withdraws US from WHO
AMN
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a series of executive actions after taking office Monday, including moving to withdraw from international health and climate bodies and directing a suspension of U.S. foreign aid.
A set of orders focused on immigration, such as declaring an emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border, ending asylum and halting birthright citizenship for some children born in the United States.
Withdraws from Paris Agreement again
Trump has signed an executive order to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement on tackling global warming. He also withdrew from the accord during his first term in office, saying it was an “unfair agreement that restricts American manufacturing.” The US later rejoined under the Biden administration.
Revokes Biden’s executive orders
Trump also signed dozens of orders to revoke what he said are the “disruptive, radical executive actions of the previous administration.” Trump has been critical of “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives, saying “hard work, merit, and equality” have been replaced by a “divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy.”
Hiring freeze and return to in-person work
Trump has ordered a freeze on the hiring of federal civilian employees. The action says no vacant positions as of noon on January 20, 2025 may be filled, and that no new positions may be created unless specified by the president’s memorandum or other applicable law.
Trump also signed a memorandum demanding the heads of all government departments and agencies take steps to terminate remote work arrangements.
Pardons people charged for US Capitol attack
And the new US president has granted pardons to about 1,500 people prosecuted in connection with the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. Many faced charges for assaulting police and security officials.
Withdraws from WHO
Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw from the World Health Organization. He also pulled out in his first term, saying the WHO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic favored China. Biden reversed that decision on his first day in office in 2021.
Eyes tariffs on Mexico, Canada from Feb. 1
Trump says he is considering imposing 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports as early as February 1. He accuses both countries of allowing many people, and the synthetic opioid fentanyl, to cross into the United States.
Mass deportation of undocumented immigrants
Trump has signed an executive order and declared a national border emergency to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. He says he will deploy troops to “ensure that the illegal entry of aliens into the US by the southern border” is “immediately and entirely stopped.”
Pauses TikTok ban for 75 days
He also used his signature to delay the start of a law that effectively bans video-sharing platform TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese firm. The executive order means the Justice Department is now prohibited from taking any action for 75 days. Trump has proposed establishing a joint venture under which a new US company would hold a 50 percent stake in TikTok.
In one of the major orders, President Trump directed the withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO). In his order, Trump cited a string of reasons for the withdrawal, including the global health agency’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the failure to adopt urgently needed reforms. Trump accused the WHO of being biased towards China in how it issued guidance during the outbreak.
Mr. Trump also signed an order to begin the process of withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement. He also invoked emergency powers to expand US energy production by reversing climate-related policies and facilitating oil, gas, and mining activities.
President Trump also officially ended the automatic citizenship of children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents. It says for a child born in the U.S. to gain citizenship, at least one parent must be a U.S. citizen, a legal permanent resident (green card holder), or a member of the U.S. military.
Donald Trump directed federal agencies to review tariffs and trade relations with China, Mexico, and Canada, hinting at imposing tariffs up to 25 percent on Mexico and Canada by February 1st.
Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and ordered the deployment of troops to address what he called a disastrous invasion.
Trump signed an executive action that delayed enforcement of the TikTok ban for 75 days. The law gives the president broad discretion on how to enforce the ban on the Chinese-owned video app.
On energy policy, Trump declared a national energy emergency, lifting restrictions on mining and encouraging fossil fuel production. He said America would capitalise on its vast oil and gas reserves to become a dominant manufacturing nation.
In other decisions, he ended work-from-home policies for federal employees. The order requires employees to return to in-person work full-time, with exemptions allowed at the discretion of department heads.
Another significant executive order aimed to restore freedom of speech and end federal censorship. In a controversial move, Trump signed an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. He also introduced a policy recognising only two genders—male and female—within the United States. Additionally, Trump ended the Biden administration’s Green Policy on electric vehicles, shifting focus back to traditional energy sources. Trump used his presidential powers to pardon over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. He justified this as addressing perceived injustices by the previous administration.