With Donald Trump taking office, he has signed a multitude of federal orders – more than any president has signed in their first week on his first day. Some of those include pulling America out of the World Health Organization and pardoning roughly 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters. Some of these executive orders will affect students and schools, including issues on the matters of immigration, education and LGBTQ+ youth.
Though not an executive order, Trump’s mass deportation program, as of Jan. 30, has seen the Immigration and Customes Enforcment, also known as I.C.E, arrest 7,412 immigrants and deport 956 immigrants, according to I.C.E Executive Order 14165. This order said that “Detaining, to the maximum extent authorized by law, aliens apprehended on suspicion of violating Federal or State law, until such time as they are removed from the United States,” which means that, with probable cause, I.C.E can simply arrest people.
Trump has also attempted to no longer allow birth right citizenship, meaning children of non-citizens born in the U.S would no longer be given citizenship, although 22 states have sued on grounds that the order goes against the Constitution and is therefore illegal. A federal judge has put a block on the order.
Trump has also signed an order to realign the refugee resettlement program. The realignment means the country would block future refugees from entering the country and the refugee admissions agency will look at each future acceptance case by case.
Executive Order 14187, entitled “Protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation,” blocks children under the age of 19 from taking gender affirming care anywhere in the country. Trump argued that these practices harm children. “This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.” Trump said. Trump has also stated before that he seeks to roll back protections given to trans students and adults. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has also blocked gender affirming care to Nebraskan trans youth in the past, although at the time of writing he has yet to make a statement on this order.
Trump also signed an order that officially only recognizes two sexes male and female in federal departments and papers. This would mean that all federal papers or documents would be changed or rescinded and would only allow biological females in female detention centers, as well as take steps to “ensure that intimate spaces designated for women, girls, or females (or for men, boys, or males) are designated by sex and not identity.” Pillen has voiced support and has also signed bills into Nebraska law recognizing only two sexes as well.
