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Trump, delivering his inaugural address, said he would sign a series of executive orders on his first day to “begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense”.
Trump said he will declare a national emergency at the United States’ southern border with Mexico.
“All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate my ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy,” Trump said, adding, “I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”
Trump’s Fraught Relationship With Mexico
Trump’s battle against illegal immigration defined his first presidency, dividing the nation between supporters who praised his efforts and critics who condemned the humanitarian costs. His story intertwined with countless lives, families ripped apart with children being housed in cages.
Trump wanted to build a wall spanning the entire border, claiming it would deter illegal crossings. As Congress debated funding, Trump redirected military funds to kickstart construction, making the wall a symbol of his hardline stance.
Further, Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy mandated prosecuting all illegal crossers, resulting in family separations that sparked national outrage. To address asylum seekers, he implemented the “Remain in Mexico” policy, requiring individuals to wait in Mexico while their claims were processed.
Deportations surged as the US immigration agency intensified operations against undocumented immigrants with criminal records, creating fear within immigrant communities. Trump also enacted travel bans and visa restrictions, framing these actions as necessary for national security.
War on Drug Cartels
Trump also declared that he will sign a Day 1 executive order designating cartels foreign terrorist organisations, allowing the government to take deadly measures against them.
“Under the orders I signed today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organisations. And by invoking the alien enemies act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to us, soil, including our cities and inner cities,” Trump said.
Also read: Donald Trump becomes 47th US president — ‘America’s decline is over!”
