Policy Backgrounders

Immigration: Early Actions of the Administration

January 22, 2025

As he signaled during the campaign and transition, the President began his Administration with a series of actions on immigration that dramatically shifted policy effective immediately. While some policies will likely be challenged in court, others give authority to the new Administration to adopt major changes in immigration policy, particularly with respect to the southern border and proposals for large-scale deportations.

• The President declared a national emergency at the southern border, which will permit deployment of troops to the border and resume construction of a border wall.  
• An Executive Order purporting to end birthright citizenship for children of migrants in the US illegally will face significant constitutional challenge under the Fourteenth Amendment.
• The “Remain in Mexico” policy of the first Trump Administration has been revived, and the CBP One app which migrants used to schedule asylum interviews was terminated very shortly after the President took office.
• Refugee resettlement has been paused for four months.
• However, achieving mass deportations will be challenging, even with an influx of new funds and new authorities because of operational and budget issues.