- Trump’s immigration crackdown reflects his campaign promise to address migration and appeals to voters concerned about demographic shifts
Donald Trump, sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, announced a series of sweeping executive orders aimed at reshaping immigration policies and citizenship rules.
In his inaugural address, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border, pledging to drastically reduce the flow of migrants into the country.
“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,” Trump said.
He also revealed plans to deploy troops to the southern border, describing the migration influx as a “disastrous invasion.”
Trump’s administration signaled its intent to end birthright citizenship, a practice guaranteed under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which grants automatic citizenship to anyone born on American soil.
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told reporters that the government would no longer recognize birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants. “We’re going to clarify the 14th Amendment,” Kelly said, adding that asylum rights would also be eliminated under the new policies.
“These measures are designed to establish an immediate removal process without the possibility of asylum,” she said.
The impact of Trump’s hard-line stance was immediate. The CBP One app, introduced under President Joe Biden to facilitate the processing of migrants, went offline shortly after Trump took office.
“Effective January 20, 2025, the functionalities of CBP One that previously allowed undocumented aliens to schedule appointments at southwest border ports of entry are no longer available,” read a notice on the app’s landing page. Reports suggest that 30,000 pre-existing appointments were canceled.
Trump’s immigration crackdown reflects his campaign promise to address migration and appeals to voters concerned about demographic shifts. However, critics are expected to challenge the constitutionality of his actions, particularly on birthright citizenship.
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