Executive Actions

• Executive Order 14159: Signed by President Trump: January 20, 2025
• Federal Register cite: 90 FR 8443 (January 29, 2025)

The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and DHS are to limit humanitarian parole, designations of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and employment authorization. DHS is to set new enforcement policies to address illegal entry, unlawful presence, and removal of those unlawfully present in the U.S. and expand the use of expedited removal.

• Executive Order 14160: Signed by President Trump: January 20, 2025
• Federal Register cite: 90 FR 8449 (January 29, 2025)

This executive order tells federal agencies to not recognize birthright citizenship of any individual born after 30 days from when the executive order was signed: when that person’s mother was unlawfully present in the United States and the person’s father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth, or when that person’s mother’s presence in the United States was lawful but temporary, and the person’s father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth.

• Executive Order 14161: Signed by President Trump: January 20, 2025
• Federal Register cite: 90 FR 8451 (January 30, 2025)

This order calls on agencies to enhance screening and vetting for individuals seeking admission to the United States and for individuals already in the United States. Increased scrutiny could result in delays and additional requirements for student and scholar visa applicants. This order also directs agencies to identify countries throughout the world for which vetting and screening is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries and to take immediate steps to exclude or remove those individuals which may lead to students facing bans on admission to the United States or increased visa denials.

• Executive Order 14165: Signed by President Trump: January 20, 2025
• Federal Register cite: 90 FR 8647 (January 30, 2025)

Directs a comprehensive effort to secure the U.S. southern border by increasing physical barriers, deploying additional personnel, and expanding detention and removal operations, Section 2 includes, “Removing promptly all aliens who enter or remain in violation of Federal law” and “Pursuing criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate the immigration laws, and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States”. This order terminated the parole program for immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua & Venezuela (CHNV) that allowed individuals to enter the U.S. and live and work temporarily.

• Executive Order 14188: Signed by President Trump: January 29, 2025
• Federal Register cite: 90 FR 8847 (February 3, 2025)

The executive order describes a general policy of the administration to combat anti-Semitism, including: “familiarizing institutions of higher education with the grounds for inadmissibility under 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3) so that such institutions may monitor for and report activities by alien students and staff relevant to those grounds and for ensuring that such reports about aliens lead, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to investigations and, if warranted, actions to remove such aliens.”

The current administration has not yet directly addressed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a directive — Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas— on Jan. 20, 2025, for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), superseding and rescinding DHS’s Oct. 27, 2021 memorandum of the same title, which determined that certain locations require special protection from enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, and providing Guidance Regarding How to Exercise Enforcement Discretion.

• U.S. Department of State
• January 26, 2025

Following President Petro’s refusal to accept two repatriation flights he previously authorized, Secretary Rubio immediately ordered a suspension of visa issuance at the U.S. Embassy Bogota consular section. Secretary Rubio is now authorizing travel sanctions on individuals and their families, who were responsible for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations. Measures will continue until Colombia meets its obligations to accept the return of its own citizens. Visa restrictions would apply to Colombian officials and their immediate family members who meet the criteria.