Since January 28, 2025, President Donald J. Trump has signed and published 55 executive orders in his quest to “make America Great Again”. Unlike traditional laws, which must be passed by congress, Executive Orders are declarations by the president used to direct the Executive Branch.
Many of these orders aim to maximize the economic and industrial potential of the U.S with an emphasis on an “America First” philosophy that focuses on U.S interactions with other countries. This involves changing trade policies, U.S involvement in international groups, and stricter immigration policies.
Other actions target LGBTQ+ rights, such as banning transgender athletes from women’s sports and restricting gender affirming care like hormone therapy and surgery for people under 19.
Trump’s new policies have been met with controversy, prompting swarms of U.S citizens to exercise their right to peaceful protest. With immigration and transgender rights holding the spotlight as well as movements to save the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID), people all over the U.S are expressing their dissatisfaction with the U.S government.
According to apnews.com, “The protests were a result of a movement that has organized online under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day.”
Immigration
One of the most controversial parts of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign was promising mass deportation and creating a slew of anti-immigrant policies.
According to jw.com, “On January 20 and 21, 2025, President Trump declared a national emergency and issued several executive orders on immigration. The Declaration and Executive Orders address ‘enhanced vetting’ of visa applicants, birthright citizenship, border security, the U.S.‑Mexico-Canada Agreement, asylum, and refugee program.”
The purpose of these executive orders is to protect U.S citizens from immigrants with ill intentions, and to relieve pressure on the INA (Immigration and Nationality Act).
The new policies have implications for immigrants and families of immigrants currently in the U.S, as well as prospective immigrants. The admission process will likely become more difficult because of the new orders, as they will affect visa issuance and involve rigorous screening of all immigrants.
Trump is also suspending all immigration, even for refugees and immigrants on parole (temporary admission to the U.S).
According to cbsnews.com, “Mr. Trump indefinitely paused the U.S. refugee admissions program, instructing officials to ban the entry of all refugees, a special legal classification for people vetted overseas who prove they are fleeing persecution based on their political beliefs, religion or other factors.”
Transgender Rights
The issuance of orders surrounding trans rights has also sparked protest. From declaring the existence of only 2 sexes, to barring trans people from women’s sports and the military, the Trump Administration claims to defend women against extreme gender ideology.
According to whitehouse.gov, “Across the country, ideologues who deny the biological reality of sex have increasingly used legal and other socially coercive means to permit men to self-identify as women and gain access to intimate single-sex spaces and activities designed for women, from women’s domestic abuse shelters to women’s workplace showers.”
According to nbcnews.com, the Biden Administration’s guidance on Title IX, which prevents sex based discrimination, required schools to allow transgender students to access sports and facilities that align with their gender identity. However, the Trump Administration has a different interpretation with the “No Men in Women’s Sports Executive Order”.
Other orders defund gender affirming care for people under 19 years old.
According to nbcnews.com, gender affirming care includes puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgery.
U.S Withdrawal from the PCA and WHO
The U.S is also withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement (PCA), an international agreement between countries to work together to slow the increase of global temperatures. Trump attempted to withdraw during his first term in 2017, but was unsuccessful.
According to cbsnews.com, Trump wants to leave the PCA because of unfair economic burdens on U.S workers, businesses, and taxpayers.
The PCA isn’t the only international group that the U.S is leaving, Trump has also made the decision to leave the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to time.com, Trump wants to leave the WHO because the organization struggled to handle the COVID-19 Pandemic, and because of disproportionate member dues expected from the U.S. In fact, the U.S has the highest member dues (from 100-122 million) of all countries.
Leaving the WHO could have serious implications not only for the U.S but for the world, as the global cooperation helps fight diseases and health crises that affect the whole world.
According to publichealth.berkelt.edu, “It is the cornerstone of global health efforts, with a multinational staff fighting both communicable diseases—like COVID-19, Zika, and HIV—and chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.”
Closing the USAID
The USAID (U.S Agency for International Development) is an agency focused on foreign assistance and provides humanitarian aid overseas.
The USAID is essential to programs and projects around the world, and shutting it down will impact humanitarian efforts on a global scale.
According to apnews.com, “USAID funds projects in some 120 countries aimed at fighting epidemics, educating children, providing clean water and supporting other areas of development.”
According to afsc.org, the Trump Administration closed the USAID headquarters on February 3, and has plans to shut it down permanently.
Elon Musk, who has been appointed as a “special government employee” by the Trump Administration and oversees cost cutting measures and workforce reductions in the U.S government, is especially critical of the USAID.
According to nbcnews.com, “Musk fired off a series of posts on X (Twitter) that accused the agency of corruption.”
USAID also employs over 10,000 people, many of which have already been placed on administrative leave by the Trump Administration according to npr.org.
