President Donald Trump Monday night declared a national emergency at the U.S. southwest border and issued multiple directives to implement border security.
Former President Joe Biden “allowed millions of people to pour through our borders from jails, prisons, mental institutions, insane asylums, gang members to be taken off the streets of Venezuela and deposited in our country and not just Venezuela … through an open border policy,” Trump said. “All over the world, they’re emptying their prisons into our country, they’re emptying their mental institutions into our country. It stopped as of one o’clock this afternoon.”
After returning to the Oval Office, Trump signed a series of proclamations and executive orders to implement border security measures.
Guaranteeing states’ rights
Trump first signed a proclamation “guaranteeing the states’ protection against the invasion at the southern border” and “invokes various executive powers related to the ongoing invasion.”
Republican governors, led by Texas and Florida, maintain that states have a right to secure their own border under Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3. Biden broke the federal government’s compact with the states, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott argued, as he challenged Biden in court. Trump’s plan is to restore that compact and provide protections to states.
Protecting America against invasion
Trump also signed an executive order to protect against an unprecedented number of foreign nationals who illegally entered the U.S. “to keep America safe.”
He did so after 55 Texas counties were the first and only ones to declare an invasion in the U.S., changing the national conversation, The Center Square exclusively reported. A majority of voters polled believe the U.S. was being invaded.
Foreign terrorist designations
Trump signed an order to protect America from foreign terrorists and national security risks by designating transnational criminal organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Those designated include Mexican cartels, the violent Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua, Salvadoran gang MS-13 and others.
“People have been wanting to do this for years. They are killing our people, 250,00 to 300,000 a year,” Trump said.
Declaring national emergency at southwest border
Trump signed a proclamation declaring a national emergency at the southern border and signed an executive order including a large number of executive actions:
Reinstating Remain in Mexico or “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP)
Trump created the policy in his first term, which requires asylum seekers to wait outside the U.S. while their claims are processed. After the Biden administration sought to end it, Texas and Missouri sued. A federal judge ruled that ending the MPP was unlawful, The Center Square reported.
Ending catch and release
Trump terminated the policy for a second time. The Obama-era policy directed federal agents to apprehend illegal border crossers and release them into the country instead of detaining and processing them for removal. Trump ended the policy in his first term, prioritizing detention and deportation. Former President Joe Biden reinstated the policy, which led to more than 14 million foreign nationals illegally entering the country, including more than two million who evaded capture, The Center Square exclusively reported.
Finishing border wall construction
Trump directed federal agencies to finish building the border wall along the southwest border, completing a project he began in his first term. Biden halted it on his first day in office.
Ending parole programs
Within minutes of Trump being sworn into office, one program, the CBP One app, was terminated. More than a dozen parole programs created by Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas were also terminated, which ushered in millions of foreign nationals deemed inadmissible under the law.
Targeting sanctuary cities
Trump directed federal efforts to “crack down on criminal sanctuaries.” More than 200 were identified and already given notice to comply with federal law or face prosecution.
Directing U.S. military involvement
Trump directed the Secretary of Defense to develop a unified command plan, with U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) overseeing border security and strategic planning to implement territorial integrity of U.S. borders. He’s also directing the deployment of additional federal personnel, including the National Guard, to take operational control of the southern border as he did in his first term.
Suspending Refugee Resettlement Program
Trump signed an executive order “realigning the U.S. refugee admission program to better align with American principles,” which suspended the federal refugee resettlement program through which communities nationwide received large numbers of illegal foreign nationals impacting crime and straining local resources.
DHS increase vetting process
Trump directed the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to enhance vetting and screening processes after national security concerns. Under the Biden administration, illegal border crossers were flown into the country who weren’t vetted, The Center Square reported.
He also directed the Department of Justice to seek the death penalty for illegal border crossers who kill U.S. citizens, including law enforcement officers.
Trump also issued an order providing clarification about the definition of birth right citizenship in the 14th Amendment, following through on a pledge he made last year, The Center Square reported.
