Tuesday, January 21, 2025

The Meaning of "Invasion" in the Current Era of Historical Development: Mr. Trump Issues a Proclamation--"Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion"; an Executive Order "Protecting the American People Against Invasion"; and Others

 

Pix credit New York Times

 

America’s sovereignty is under attack.  Our southern border is overrun by cartels, criminal gangs, known terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers, unvetted military-age males from foreign adversaries, and illicit narcotics that harm Americans, including America.This invasion has caused widespread chaos and suffering in our country over the last 4 years.(Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States)

Mr. Trump has made migration a centerpiece of his Administration's policy focus.  That has been made even clearer in recent remarks on the eve of his inauguration and in the course of his 2nd Inaugural Address (). Mr. Trump also promised to make good on his policy objectives, and the means by which they are to be achieved from the first day of his second administration.

 And Mr. Trump has done just that. In a public gathering after his swearing in and before a large popular gathering, Mr. Trump signed a number of orders and Proclamations (see here for the list). Among these was a Proclamation--"Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion."

Both the proclamation and any taken taken by government officials  that can be traced to it will likely be subject to litigation. That litigation--as is the nature of such strategies in the current era (and used to good effect by all political factions and organized groups seeking to engage in politics through the courts and deploying the language and sensibilities of law, and its rule)--will seek to (1) delay any action thereby impeding its effectiveness; (2)  enlist the judiciary to more authoritatively redefine either the power of the executive to move forward on the basis asserted, or require the executive to conform to emerging standards and procedures  in order to take the contemplated action; (3) use the proceedings as a means of engaging in and attempting to reshape the narratives, perceptions, and collective cognition around the issues, understandings and values involved in the action. These strategies may be invoked successfully at least in part, but the strategic tools are available to all parties and it is not clear how the landscape of the legal battlefields will be shaped nor the course of combat within the courts. 

These reflections do not focus on the "merits" of the proclamation, nor does it consider the contemporary development of the rules around and the extent of presidential authority either generally or in this context. Those fields are quite interesting, to be sure, but the fundamental principles are well settled (for the moment) and the questions involved will revolve on the abilities of lawyers to create, and judges to embrace, one or another set of ways of understanding words and concepts, giving value to those words objectifying principles, and then applying specific cognitive pathways to the application of meaning and value. Its specific development at a micro level are interesting, and will have dramatc impact on the ground (over and over as the mimetic iterative process of the judicial dialectic plays out) but as a conceptual puzzle far less so. 

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Far more interesting is the Trump Administration's willingness, more directly than one might have though possible (or prudent), to confront the conceptual issue of invasion. In the process the Trump Administration has foregrounded a compelling challenge for modern states--the need to shake the cobwebs off of the ancient and now quaint notions  attached like barnacles on a sick turtle, to the body of the State. More specifically, the Trump Administration has embraced quite directly the idea that the concept of invasion: (1) is not a monopoly of states (an 18th and 19th century conceit, wrapped in norm and veils the ideal it represents about the state system); (2) need not be hierarchically managed, that is that one can accept and respond to invasion an an anarchic movement--that is as an ordered movement without a center; contrast chaos); (3) must be understood under certain conditions (not defined except by reference, for the moment, to current conditions on the southern border of the United States) as acts of war; (4) may be understood, under certain circumstances (to be defined) even when presented as the product of anarchic convergence of actions by reference to those undertaking direction of these movements, especially where such organizations may be designated under the law as terrorist fronts; (5) may be understood, under certain circumstances, as instruments of foreign states or other non-state apparatus and can, thus connected, serve as a basis for action against the entire command and control hierarchy of invasion; and (6) creates conditions that, under certain circumstances, can be used to designate portions of the territory of the United States as within zones of conflict within which the authority of the federal political branches changes. To a large extent, invasion has become a conceptual challenge, but one for which societies have long developed a conceptual leading force in the games that we play and in the way in which common understandings are naturalized in sport, for example, and tech.

The Proclamation is not the only measure  deployed. Also issued was a declaration: Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States; and several executive orders, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion"; "Securing Our Borders";  "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship"; "Clarifying The Military’s Role In Protecting The Territorial Integrity Of The United States" and  "Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists". There are others that round out these pieces that together begin to shape the approach to action, and the understanding of the nature, causes and approaches to that action, on the southern border of the Republic.  What appears to tie all of this is the fundamental principle that invasion, however defined, ought to be measured by its effects within the Republic, rather than as a function of the organization intent, tactics, or actions of those causing these effects. Likewise the response to invasion appears to be grounded on a principle that response radiates outward to and against those who cause effect, irrespective of the territories or spaces they may occupy. Internally, it also suggests that the field of battle is no longer determined as a function of armies but is also grounded in the identification of those spaces in which effects are felt within the Republic. Those effects are not measured against a territorial control standard--an its ancient concept of the state--they are measured against a triggering level of adverse impacts on the integrity, solidarity and stability of the state, its institutions, and and the functioning of the polity. Adverse impact, then, would acquire a critical role in any determination of invasion, where such act can assume tangible or intangible, physical or virtual forms.

This was a long time coming.  But it has been an object of observation, at least, especially since the start of the 21st century, though now harder to avoid (eg here). Some of its apparatus and conceptual constructions, though, might be dated back to the Israeli War of Independence (and before that certain (re)constructions of regimes of displaced persons and forced population movements in Europe between 1945 and 1948, now substantially refined as it has been transposed to a variety of other contexts.  But a definitive accounting is perhaps best left to historians to debate in the next century. For the moment, the increasing realization of the transformation of the narratives and imaginaries of migrants from the post 1945 constructions of post 1945 Europe, and in the United States from the now near mythic origin stories of 19th century European migrations (always footed to account for the forced migration of African peoples and the displacement of others) was jump started after the so-called Arab Spring of 2011 and then the Russian imperial campaigns of conquest from 2014, with side events all over the world (violence and instability in Latin America, war and critical regime changes in Central Asia; warfare on virtually every cognitive level throughout the African continent, etc.). 

In all of these changes a remarkable thing occurs--the misery and desperation of individual migrants are utilized and directed by and toward ends that have little to do with their misery and actions (migration to escape danger or seek a better life) becomes the central animating feature of the instrumentalization of migration and its deployment against targeted populations and the States in which they inhabit. To weaponize migration one must become adept at creating, channeling, and directing the sort of misery and instability that  catalyzes migration. Otherwise one distills the serendipity of the sort of misery that emerges as a consequence of the violent pursuit of objectives by those engaged in other forms of combat or disputes (drug and human trafficking, exploitation to run tech fueled slave operations in for example Southeast Asia, etc.). In any case migration, aggregated might then be developed as an instrument to advantage those during the directing against forces that they view as hostile.  It is in this sense that one can conceive of invasion by focusing not on the individual humans whose misery makes instrumentalization and direction possible, but to those for whom the humanity of the migrant, reconstituted as organized collective bodies of migrants, can become useful, when appropriately directed, to destabilize target territories and their societies.  That targeting is effective not so much because of the physical insertion of waves of migrants so much as it creates a situation in which those projecting migration can use the narratives and principles of the target territory against itself (eg here). However undertaken, and wherever the placement of conflict, the object, destabilization, distraction, etc. might be achieved  with some measure of effect (note the unwillingness to use the word success). 

This is not a problem unique to the United States. The European Union has also been forced to consider its effects within its own legal and normative framework (eg  Some Form of the National Security State Comes to Europe?: "Does the Commission Cross the Rubicon? Legalising ‘Pushbacks’ on the Basis of Article 72 TFEU"). And it manifests differently depending on the way organizations come to understand, shape, and deploy migration as a tool (eg here, here, here, here). And it can bet complicated (eg here; here). And certainly the Ukrainians have not been shy about its nature in war: "Perhaps, the weaponization of food or migration will break existing regional balances and undermine many political systems – not only in Europe but also in the Middle East. In Africa. In the Americas. (Do not ask Ukraine when the war will end. Ask yourself – why Putin is still able to continue it – speech by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference).

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All of this, of course, is fodder for the precise object around which the debate on signification and interpretation will occur--the word "invasion." This is a word object that has been particularly malleable, and whose meaning (and the cognitive universe within which that meaning is valued and triggers  pathways toward "good" and "bad" responses) is an expression of deeply embedded moral, social, political, cultural, and religious systems of meaning (and the management of acceptable responses). The term, at its broadest, is a function of the solidarity--the challenge to which is at the core of both the meaning of the term and the perception of response. Some invasions may be viewed with indifference or as a positive (the "invasion" of British pop music with the Beatles in the 1960s). Others less so--for example the invasion of the Japanese beetle. Where invasion in the context of war might have been bound up with the imaginaries and idealized monopoly of the State, around which a complicated systems of rules and understandings were built, modernity appears to have upended that ideal and with it the complex rule system meant to contain and deploy it.   And that is the problem. It is easy enough to toss out a set of obsolete rules, perceptions, narratives, and stances in the face of unavoidable changes in perception of a thing (migration in some contexts); it is quite another, in a world that craves rule systems for all aspects of organized life, to produce a ready made substitute. That substitute will, at least in the United States, take litigation, conflict, position and opposition, action and opposition, before anything emerges.  What is now unmistakable, though, is that the revolution of the notion, application, and response to invasion is now on the table. 

And as seems to be the case all too often, all of this transforming, all of this weaponization, is undertaken on the backs of the suffering of those who bear the risks but who cannot control it. But that is a subject of another conversation. As important is the challenge respecting people when their utility as instruments is reduced. At some point the issue of migration, detached from invasion, will have to be reconsidered, and with it the management of stability across borders. For the moment, though, that larger conversation appears not to be at the center of conversation in many places. And where it is, the use of the old discourse and its imperatives may be as distracting and unhelpful and the discourse that ignores  the welfare and stability issues of migrants.

Whatever emerges over the course of the next several years, whatever form it tales, one might be excused for believing that the landscape of the conversation, ist starting points, the connections between migration and conflict, and the inter-relationship between social, economic, and political policy internally and across borders will be reshaped. More specifically, in the long run, and aligned with significant changes in the understandings of the methods and instruments of way, the notion of "invasion" as a normative and legal concept will likely also undergo some discussion and change.

The text of the proclamation and Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States; and several executive orders, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion"; "Securing Our Borders";  "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship"; "Clarifying the Military's Role in Protecting the Territorial INtegrity of the United States“ and "Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists" all follow below.



BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby proclaim:

An essential feature of any sovereign nation is the existence of territorial boundaries and the inherent authority to decide who and what may cross those boundaries.  The Supreme Court of the United States has described this power as a “fundamental act of sovereignty,” which “stems not alone from legislative power but is inherent in the executive power to control the foreign affairs of the nation.”  U.S. ex rel. Knauff v. Shaughnessy, 338 U.S. 537, 542 (1950).  The Supreme Court has recognized the inherent right and duty of the Executive Branch to defend our national sovereignty, stating that “[w]hen Congress prescribes a procedure concerning the admissibility of aliens, it is not dealing alone with a legislative power.  It is implementing an inherent executive power.”  Id.

The Congress has, in establishing “an uniform Rule of Naturalization,” created a complex and comprehensive Federal scheme in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., to control the entry and exit of people and goods across the borders of the United States.  In routine circumstances, this complex and comprehensive scheme can protect the national sovereignty of the United States by facilitating the admission of individuals whose presence serves the national interest and preventing the admission of those who do not, such as those aliens who pose threats to public health, section 212(a)(1) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(1); safety, section 212(a)(2) (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)); and national security, section 212(a)(3) (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)).  Prospective immigrants who use the visa system are screened for such health, safety, and security concerns while outside of the United States, and are not permitted to enter the United States until they establish that they are eligible to be admitted as a matter of law and should be admitted as a matter of discretion.

But screening under those provisions of the INA can be wholly ineffective in the border environment, where access to necessary information is limited for aliens who have traveled from countries around the world to enter the United States illegally, or when the system is overwhelmed, leading to the unauthorized entry of innumerable illegal aliens into the United States.

Due to significant information gaps — particularly in the border environment — and processing times, Federal officials do not have the ability to verify with certainty the criminal record or national-security risks associated with the illegal entry of every alien at the southern border, as required by section 212(a)(2)-(3) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)-(3).  Nor do aliens who illegally cross the southern border readily provide comprehensive background information from their home countries to Federal law enforcement officials.

The public safety and national security risks in such an environment are heightened by the presence of, and control of territory by, international cartels and other transnational criminal organizations on the other side of the southern border, as well as terrorists and other malign actors who intend to harm the United States and the American people.  And the risks associated with these issues are greatly exacerbated when the number of aliens illegally crossing the southern border increases to levels that prevent actual operational control of the border.

The same is true for public health, where the Federal Government currently lacks an effective operational capability to screen all illegal aliens crossing the southern border for communicable diseases of public-health concern, as required by section 212(a)(1) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(1).  Effectively no aliens who illegally enter the United States provide Federal officials at the southern border with their comprehensive health information, as a lawful immigrant would.  As a result, innumerable aliens potentially carrying communicable diseases of public health significance illegally cross the southern border and enter communities across the United States.

Over the last 4 years, at least 8 million illegal aliens were encountered along the southern border of the United States, and countless millions more evaded detection and illegally entered the United States.  The sheer number of aliens entering the United States has overwhelmed the system and rendered many of the INA’s provisions ineffective, including those previously described that are intended to prevent aliens posing threats to public health, safety, and national security from entering the United States.  As a result, millions of aliens who potentially pose significant threats to health, safety, and national security have moved into communities nationwide.

This ongoing influx of illegal aliens across the southern border of the United States has placed significant costs and constraints upon the States, which have collectively spent billions of dollars in providing medical care and related human services, and have spent considerable amounts on increased law enforcement costs associated with the presence of these illegal aliens within their boundaries.

In joining the Union, the States agreed to surrender much of their sovereignty and join the Union in exchange for the Federal Government’s promise in Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, to “protect each of [the States] against Invasion.”  I have determined that the current state of the southern border reveals that the Federal Government has failed in fulfilling this obligation to the States and hereby declare that an invasion is ongoing at the southern border, which requires the Federal Government to take measures to fulfill its obligation to the States.

The INA provides the President with certain emergency tools.  For example, it states that “[w]henever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.”  8 U.S.C. 1182(f).  This statute “exudes deference to the President in every clause.”  Trump v. Hawaii, 585 U.S. 667, 684 (2018).  Further, the INA renders it unlawful for “any alien to depart from or enter or attempt to depart from or enter the United States except under such reasonable rules, regulations, and orders, and subject to such limitations and exceptions as the President may prescribe.”  8 U.S.C. 1185(a)(1).

Historically, Presidents have used these statutory authorities to deny entry of designated classes and categories of aliens into the United States through ports of entry.  But if the President has the power to deny entry of any alien into the United States, and to impose any restrictions as he may deem appropriate, this authority necessarily includes the right to deny the physical entry of aliens into the United States and impose restrictions on access to portions of the immigration system, particularly when the number of aliens illegally crossing the southern border prevents the Federal Government from obtaining operational control of the border.

The INA does not, however, occupy the Federal Government’s field of authority to protect the sovereignty of the United States, particularly in times of emergency when entire provisions of the INA are rendered ineffective by operational constraints, such as when there is an ongoing invasion into the States.  The President’s inherent powers to control the borders of the United States, including those deriving from his authority to control the foreign affairs of the United States, necessarily include the ability to prevent the physical entry of aliens involved in an invasion into the United States, and to rapidly repatriate them to an alternative location.  Only through such measures can the President guarantee the right of each State to be protected against invasion.

By the power vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, I have determined that the current situation at the southern border qualifies as an invasion under Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United States.  Accordingly, I am issuing this Proclamation based on my express and inherent powers in Article II of the Constitution of the United States, and in faithful execution of the immigration laws passed by the Congress, and suspending the physical entry of aliens involved in an invasion into the United States across the southern border until I determine that the invasion has concluded.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, hereby direct as follows:

Section 1.  Suspension of Entry.  I hereby proclaim, pursuant to sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), that the entry into the United States on or after the date of this order of aliens engaged in the invasion across the southern border is detrimental to the interests of the United States.  I therefore direct that entry into the United States of such aliens be suspended until I issue a finding that the invasion at the southern border has ceased.

Sec. 2.  Imposition of Restrictions on Entry for Aliens Invading the United States.  I hereby proclaim, pursuant to sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), that aliens engaged in the invasion across the southern border of the United States on or after the date of this proclamation are restricted from invoking provisions of the INA that would permit their continued presence in the United States, including, but not limited to, section 208 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1158, until I issue a finding that the invasion at the southern border has ceased.

Sec. 3.  Suspension of and Restriction on Entry for Aliens Posing Public Health, Safety, or National Security Risks.  I hereby proclaim, pursuant to sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), that the entry into the United States, on or after the date of this order, of any alien who fails, before entering the United States, to provide Federal officials with sufficient medical information and reliable criminal history and background information as to enable fulfillment of the requirements of sections 212(a)(1)-(3) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(1)-(3), is detrimental to the interests of the United States.  I therefore direct that entry into the United States of such aliens be suspended and restrict their access to provisions of the INA that would permit their continued presence in the United States, including, but not limited to, section 208 of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1158.

Sec. 4.  Constitutional Suspension of Physical Entry.  Under the authorities provided to me under Article II of the Constitution of the United States, including my control over foreign affairs, and to effectuate the guarantee of protection against invasion required by Article IV, Section 4, I hereby suspend the physical entry of any alien engaged in the invasion across the southern border of the United States, and direct the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, to take appropriate actions as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of this proclamation, until I issue a finding that the invasion at the southern border has ceased.

Sec. 5.  Operational Actions to Repel the Invasion.  The Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, shall take all appropriate action to repel, repatriate, or remove any alien engaged in the invasion across the southern border of the United States on or after the date of this order, whether as an exercise of the suspension power in section 212(f) and 215(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), or as an exercise of my delegated authority under the Constitution of the United States, until I issue a finding that the invasion at the southern border has ceased.

Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This proclamation shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

 

 

DESIGNATING CARTELS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS AND SPECIALLY DESIGNATED GLOBAL TERRORISTS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA),50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  This order creates a process by which certain international cartels (the Cartels) and other organizations will be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, consistent with section 219 of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1189), or Specially Designated Global Terrorists, consistent with IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702) and Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001 (Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism), as amended.

(a)  International cartels constitute a national-security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime, with activities encompassing:

(i)    convergence between themselves and a range of extra-hemispheric actors, from designated foreign-terror organizations to antagonistic foreign governments;

(ii)   complex adaptive systems, characteristic of entities engaged in insurgency and asymmetric warfare; and

(iii)  infiltration into foreign governments across the Western Hemisphere.

The Cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere that has not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs.

The Cartels functionally control, through a campaign of assassination, terror, rape, and brute force nearly all illegal traffic across the southern border of the United States.  In certain portions of Mexico, they function as quasi-governmental entities, controlling nearly all aspects of society.  The Cartels’ activities threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere.  Their activities, proximity to, and incursions into the physical territory of the United States pose an unacceptable national security risk to the United States.

(b)  Other transnational organizations, such as Tren de Aragua (TdA) and La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) pose similar threats to the United States.  Their campaigns of violence and terror in the United States and internationally are extraordinarily violent, vicious, and similarly threaten the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere.

(c)  The Cartels and other transnational organizations, such as TdA and MS-13, operate both within and outside the United States.  They present an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.  I hereby declare a national emergency, under IEEPA, to deal with those threats.

Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States and their ability to threaten the territory, safety, and security of the United States through their extraterritorial command-and-control structures, thereby protecting the American people and the territorial integrity of the United States.

Sec. 3.  Implementation.  (a)  Within 14 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State shall take all appropriate action, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, to make a recommendation regarding the designation of any cartel or other organization described in section 1 of this order as a Foreign Terrorist Organization consistent with 8 U.S.C. 1189 and/or a Specially Designated Global Terrorist consistent with 50 U.S.C. 1702 and Executive Order 13224.

(b)  Within 14 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to make operational preparations regarding the implementation of any decision I make to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., in relation to the existence of any qualifying invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States by a qualifying actor, and to prepare such facilities as necessary to expedite the removal of those who may be designated under this order.

Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

    January 20, 2025. 

 

 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby proclaim:

America’s sovereignty is under attack.  Our southern border is overrun by cartels, criminal gangs, known terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers, unvetted military-age males from foreign adversaries, and illicit narcotics that harm Americans, including America.

This invasion has caused widespread chaos and suffering in our country over the last 4 years.  It has led to the horrific and inexcusable murders of many innocent American citizens, including women and children, at the hands of illegal aliens.  Foreign criminal gangs and cartels have begun seizing control of parts of cities, attacking our most vulnerable citizens, and terrorizing Americans beyond the control of local law enforcement.  Cartels control vast territories just south of our southern border, effectively controlling who can and cannot travel to the United States from Mexico. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have tragically died from drug overdoses because of the illicit narcotics that have flowed across the southern border.

This assault on the American people and the integrity of America’s sovereign borders represents a grave threat to our Nation.

Because of the gravity and emergency of this present danger and imminent threat, it is necessary for the Armed Forces to take all appropriate action to assist the Department of Homeland Security in obtaining full operational control of the southern border.

To protect the security and safety of United States citizens, to protect each of the States against invasion, and to uphold my duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, it is my responsibility as President to ensure that the illegal entry of aliens into the United States via the southern border be immediately and entirely stopped.

As Commander in Chief, I have no more solemn duty than to protect the American people.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 201 and 301 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), hereby declare that a national emergency exists at the southern border of the United States, and that section 12302 of title 10, United States Code, is invoked and made available, according to its terms, to the Secretaries of the military departments concerned, subject to the direction of the Secretary of Defense.  To provide additional authority to the Department of Defense to support the Federal Government’s response to the emergency at the southern border, I hereby declare that this emergency requires use of the Armed Forces and, in accordance with section 301 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1631), that the construction authority provided in section 2808 of title 10, United States Code, is invoked and made available, according to its terms, to the Secretary of Defense and, at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense, to the Secretaries of the military departments.  I hereby direct as follows:

Section 1.  Deployment of Personnel and Resources.  The Secretary of Defense, or the Secretary of each relevant military department, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, shall order as many units or members of the Armed Forces, including the Ready Reserve and the National Guard, as the Secretary of Defense determines to be appropriate to support the activities of the Secretary of Homeland Security in obtaining complete operational control of the southern border of the United States.  The Secretary of Defense shall further take all appropriate action to facilitate the operational needs of the Secretary of Homeland Security along the southern border, including through the provision of appropriate detention space, transportation (including aircraft), and other logistics services in support of civilian-controlled law enforcement operations.

Sec. 2.  Additional Physical Barriers.  The Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security shall immediately take all appropriate action, consistent with law, including 10 U.S.C. 2214, to construct additional physical barriers along the southern border.  To the extent possible, the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security shall coordinate with any Governor of a State that is willing to assist with the deployment of any physical infrastructure to improve operational security at the southern border.

Sec. 3.  Unmanned Aerial Systems.  The Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Communications Commission shall, consistent with applicable law, consider waiving all applicable Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission regulations or policies, respectively, that restrict the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to counter unmanned aerial systems within 5 miles of the southern border.

Sec. 4.  Revision of Policies and Strategies.  The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall take all appropriate action, consistent with law, to prioritize the impedance and denial of the unauthorized physical entry of aliens across the southern border of the United States, and to ensure that use of force policies prioritize the safety and security of Department of Homeland Security personnel and of members of the Armed Forces.

Sec. 5.  Revocation.  Proclamation 10142 of January 20, 2021 (Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Southern Border of the United States and Redirection of Funds Diverted to Border Wall Construction), is hereby revoked.

Sec. 6.  Reporting Requirement.  (a)  Within 30 days of the date of this proclamation, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the President, through the Homeland Security Advisor, a report outlining all actions taken to fulfill the requirements and objectives of this proclamation; and

(b)  Within 90 days of the date of this proclamation, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a joint report to the President about the conditions at the southern border of the United States and any recommendations regarding additional actions that may be necessary to obtain complete operational control of the southern border, including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.

Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This proclamation shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

 

 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  The privilege of United States citizenship is a priceless and profound gift.  The Fourteenth Amendment states:  “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”  That provision rightly repudiated the Supreme Court of the United States’s shameful decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford, 60 U.S. (19 How.) 393 (1857), which misinterpreted the Constitution as permanently excluding people of African descent from eligibility for United States citizenship solely based on their race. 

But the Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States.  The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”  Consistent with this understanding, the Congress has further specified through legislation that “a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” is a national and citizen of the United States at birth, 8 U.S.C. 1401, generally mirroring the Fourteenth Amendment’s text.  

Among the categories of individuals born in the United States and not subject to the jurisdiction thereof, the privilege of United States citizenship does not automatically extend to persons born in the United States:  (1) when that person’s mother was unlawfully present in the United States and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth, or (2) when that person’s mother’s presence in the United States at the time of said person’s birth was lawful but temporary (such as, but not limited to, visiting the United States under the auspices of the Visa Waiver Program or visiting on a student, work, or tourist visa) and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth.

Sec. 2.  Policy.  (a)  It is the policy of the United States that no department or agency of the United States government shall issue documents recognizing United States citizenship, or accept documents issued by State, local, or other governments or authorities purporting to recognize United States citizenship, to persons:  (1) 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 (2) 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.

(b)  Subsection (a) of this section shall apply only to persons who are born within the United States after 30 days from the date of this order.

(c)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to affect the entitlement of other individuals, including children of lawful permanent residents, to obtain documentation of their United States citizenship. 

Sec. 3.  Enforcement.  (a)  The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Commissioner of Social Security shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the regulations and policies of their respective departments and agencies are consistent with this order, and that no officers, employees, or agents of their respective departments and agencies act, or forbear from acting, in any manner inconsistent with this order.

(b)  The heads of all executive departments and agencies shall issue public guidance within 30 days of the date of this order regarding this order’s implementation with respect to their operations and activities.

Sec. 4.  Definitions.  As used in this order:

(a)  “Mother” means the immediate female biological progenitor.

(b)  “Father” means the immediate male biological progenitor.

Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 20, 2025.

 

 

SECURING OUR BORDERS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  PurposeOver the last 4 years, the United States has endured a large-scale invasion at an unprecedented level.  Millions of illegal aliens from nations and regions all around the world successfully entered the United States where they are now residing, including potential terrorists, foreign spies, members of cartels, gangs, and violent transnational criminal organizations, and other hostile actors with malicious intent.

Deadly narcotics and other illicit materials have flowed across the border while agents and officers spend their limited resources processing illegal aliens for release into the United States.  These catch-and-release policies undermine the rule of law and our sovereignty, create substantial risks to public safety and security, and divert critical resources away from stopping the entry of contraband and fugitives into the United States.  

We have limited information on the precise whereabouts of a great number of these illegal aliens who have entered the United States over the last 4 years.

This cannot stand.  A nation without borders is not a nation, and the Federal Government must act with urgency and strength to end the threats posed by an unsecured border.

One of my most important obligations is to protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement.

My Administration will marshal all available resources and authorities to stop this unprecedented flood of illegal aliens into the United States.

Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to take all appropriate action to secure the borders of our Nation through the following means:  

(a)  Establishing a physical wall and other barriers monitored and supported by adequate personnel and technology;

(b)  Deterring and preventing the entry of illegal aliens into the United States;

(c)  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;

(d)  Removing promptly all aliens who enter or remain in violation of Federal law;

(e)  Pursuing criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate the immigration laws, and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States;

(f)  Cooperating fully with State and local law enforcement officials in enacting Federal-State partnerships to enforce Federal immigration priorities; and

(g)  Obtaining complete operational control of the borders of the United States.

Sec. 3.  Physical Barriers.  The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action to deploy and construct temporary and permanent physical barriers to ensure complete operational control of the southern border of the United States.

Sec. 4.  Deployment of Personnel.  (a)  The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate and lawful action to deploy sufficient personnel along the southern border of the United States to ensure complete operational control; and

(b)  The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action to supplement available personnel to secure the southern border and enforce the immigration laws of the United States through the use of sections 1103(a)(2) and (4)-(6) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1103(a)(2) and (4)-(6)).

Sec. 5.  Detention.  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate actions to detain, to the fullest extent permitted by law, aliens apprehended for violations of immigration law until their successful removal from the United States.  The Secretary shall, consistent with applicable law, issue new policy guidance or propose regulations regarding the appropriate and consistent use of lawful detention authority under the INA, including the termination of the practice commonly known as “catch-and-release,” whereby illegal aliens are routinely released into the United States shortly after their apprehension for violations of immigration law.

Sec. 6.  Resumption of Migrant Protection Protocols.  As soon as practicable, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, shall take all appropriate action to resume the Migrant Protection Protocols in all sectors along the southern border of the United States and ensure that, pending removal proceedings, aliens described in section 235(b)(2)(C) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1225(b)(2)(C)) are returned to the territory from which they came.

Sec. 7.  Adjusting Parole Policies.  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall, consistent with applicable law, take all appropriate action to:

(a)  Cease using the “CBP One” application as a method of paroling or facilitating the entry of otherwise inadmissible aliens into the United States;

(b)  Terminate all categorical parole programs that are contrary to the policies of the United States established in my Executive Orders, including the program known as the “Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans.”

(c)  Align all policies and operations at the southern border of the United States to be consistent with the policy of Section 2 of this order and ensure that all future parole determinations fully comply with this order and with applicable law.

Sec. 8.  Additional International Cooperation.  The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall take all appropriate action to facilitate additional international cooperation and agreements, consistent with the policy of Section 2, including entering into agreements based upon the provisions of section 208(a)(2)(A) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1158(a)(2)(A)) or any other applicable provision of law.

Sec. 9.  DNA and Identification Requirements.  (a)  The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action to fulfill the requirements of the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005, title X of Public Law 109-162, for all aliens detained under the authority of the United States; and

(b)  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action to use any available technologies and procedures to determine the validity of any claimed familial relationship between aliens encountered or apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security.

Sec. 10.  Prosecution of Offenses.  The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action to prioritize the prosecution of offenses that relate to the borders of the United States, including the investigation and prosecution of offenses that involve human smuggling, human trafficking, child trafficking, and sex trafficking in the United States.

Sec. 11.  Additional Measures.  Within 14 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide recommendations to the President regarding the use of any other authority to protect the United States from foreign threats and secure the southern border.

Sec. 12.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 20, 2025.

 

DESIGNATING CARTELS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS AND SPECIALLY DESIGNATED GLOBAL TERRORISTS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA),50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  This order creates a process by which certain international cartels (the Cartels) and other organizations will be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, consistent with section 219 of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1189), or Specially Designated Global Terrorists, consistent with IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702) and Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001 (Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism), as amended.

(a)  International cartels constitute a national-security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime, with activities encompassing:

(i)    convergence between themselves and a range of extra-hemispheric actors, from designated foreign-terror organizations to antagonistic foreign governments;

(ii)   complex adaptive systems, characteristic of entities engaged in insurgency and asymmetric warfare; and

(iii)  infiltration into foreign governments across the Western Hemisphere.

The Cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere that has not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs.

The Cartels functionally control, through a campaign of assassination, terror, rape, and brute force nearly all illegal traffic across the southern border of the United States.  In certain portions of Mexico, they function as quasi-governmental entities, controlling nearly all aspects of society.  The Cartels’ activities threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere.  Their activities, proximity to, and incursions into the physical territory of the United States pose an unacceptable national security risk to the United States.

(b)  Other transnational organizations, such as Tren de Aragua (TdA) and La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) pose similar threats to the United States.  Their campaigns of violence and terror in the United States and internationally are extraordinarily violent, vicious, and similarly threaten the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere.

(c)  The Cartels and other transnational organizations, such as TdA and MS-13, operate both within and outside the United States.  They present an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.  I hereby declare a national emergency, under IEEPA, to deal with those threats.

Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States and their ability to threaten the territory, safety, and security of the United States through their extraterritorial command-and-control structures, thereby protecting the American people and the territorial integrity of the United States.

Sec. 3.  Implementation.  (a)  Within 14 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State shall take all appropriate action, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, to make a recommendation regarding the designation of any cartel or other organization described in section 1 of this order as a Foreign Terrorist Organization consistent with 8 U.S.C. 1189 and/or a Specially Designated Global Terrorist consistent with 50 U.S.C. 1702 and Executive Order 13224.

(b)  Within 14 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to make operational preparations regarding the implementation of any decision I make to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., in relation to the existence of any qualifying invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States by a qualifying actor, and to prepare such facilities as necessary to expedite the removal of those who may be designated under this order.

Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

    January 20, 2025. 

 

PROTECTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AGAINST INVASION

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  Over the last 4 years, the prior administration invited, administered, and oversaw an unprecedented flood of illegal immigration into the United States.  Millions of illegal aliens crossed our borders or were permitted to fly directly into the United States on commercial flights and allowed to settle in American communities, in violation of longstanding Federal laws.

Many of these aliens unlawfully within the United States present significant threats to national security and public safety, committing vile and heinous acts against innocent Americans.  Others are engaged in hostile activities, including espionage, economic espionage, and preparations for terror-related activities.  Many have abused the generosity of the American people, and their presence in the United States has cost taxpayers billions of dollars at the Federal, State, and local levels.

Enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States.  The American people deserve a Federal Government that puts their interests first and a Government that understands its sacred obligation to prioritize the safety, security, and financial and economic well-being of Americans.

This order ensures that the Federal Government protects the American people by faithfully executing the immigration laws of the United States.

Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people.  Further, it is the policy of the United States to achieve the total and efficient enforcement of those laws, including through lawful incentives and detention capabilities.

Sec. 3.  Faithful Execution of the Immigration Laws.  In furtherance of the policies described in section 2 of this order:

(a)  Executive Order 13993 of January 20, 2021 (Revision of Civil Immigration Enforcement Policies and Priorities), Executive Order 14010 of February 2, 2021 (Creating a Comprehensive Regional Framework To Address the Causes of Migration, To Manage Migration Throughout North and Central America, and To Provide Safe and Orderly Processing of Asylum Seekers at the United States Border), Executive Order 14011 of February 2, 2021 (Establishment of Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families), and Executive Order 14012 of February 2, 2021 (Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans) are hereby revoked; and

(b)  Executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall take all appropriate action to promptly revoke all memoranda, guidance, or other policies based on the Executive Orders revoked in section 3(a) of this order and shall employ all lawful means to ensure the faithful execution of the immigration laws of the United States against all inadmissible and removable aliens.

Sec. 4.  Civil Enforcement Priorities.  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action to enable the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to set priorities for their agencies that protect the public safety and national security interests of the American people, including by ensuring the successful enforcement of final orders of removal.  Further, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that the primary mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations division is the enforcement of the provisions of the INA and other Federal laws related to the illegal entry and unlawful presence of aliens in the United States and the enforcement of the purposes of this order.

Sec. 5.  Criminal Enforcement Priorities.  The Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall take all appropriate action to prioritize the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States.

Sec. 6.  Federal Homeland Security Task Forces.  (a)  The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action to jointly establish Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTFs) in all States nationwide.

(b)  The composition of each HSTF shall be subject to the direction of the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, but shall include representation from any other Federal agencies with law enforcement officers, or agencies with the ability to provide logistics, intelligence, and operational support to the HSTFs, and shall also include representation from relevant State and local law enforcement agencies.  The heads of all Federal agencies shall take all appropriate action to provide support to the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that the HSTFs fulfill the objectives in subsection (c) of this section, and any other lawful purpose that fulfills the policy objectives of this order.

(c)  The objective of each HSTF is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations throughout the United States, dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks, end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children, and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States.

(d)  The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action to provide an operational command center to coordinate the activities of the HSTFs and provide such support as they may require, and shall also take all appropriate action to provide supervisory direction to their activities as may be required.

Sec. 7.  Identification of Unregistered Illegal Aliens.  The Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, shall take all appropriate action to:

(a)  Immediately announce and publicize information about the legal obligation of all previously unregistered aliens in the United States to comply with the requirements of part VII of subchapter II of chapter 12 of title 8, United States Code;

(b)  Ensure that all previously unregistered aliens in the United States comply with the requirements of part VII of subchapter II of chapter 12 of title 8, United States Code; and

(c)  Ensure that failure to comply with the legal obligations of part VII of subchapter II of chapter 12 of title 8, United States Code, is treated as a civil and criminal enforcement priority.

Sec. 8.  Civil Fines and Penalties.  (a)  The Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of Treasury, shall take all appropriate action to ensure the assessment and collection of all fines and penalties that the Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized by law to assess and collect from aliens unlawfully present in the United States, including aliens who unlawfully entered or unlawfully attempted to enter the United States, and from those who facilitate such aliens’ presence in the United States.

(b)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the President regarding their progress implementing the requirements of this section and recommending any additional actions that may need to be taken to achieve its objectives.

Sec. 9.  Efficient Removals of Recent Entrants and Other Aliens.  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action, pursuant to section 235(b)(1)(A)(iii)(I) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1225(b)(1)(A)(iii)(I)), to apply, in her sole and unreviewable discretion, the provisions of section 235(b)(1)(A)(i) and (ii) of the INA to the aliens designated under section 235(b)(1)(A)(iii)(II).  Further, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall promptly take appropriate action to use all other provisions of the immigration laws or any other Federal law, including, but not limited to sections 238 and 240(d) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1228 and 1229a(d)), to ensure the efficient and expedited removal of aliens from the United States.

Sec. 10.  Detention Facilities.  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall promptly take all appropriate action and allocate all legally available resources or establish contracts to construct, operate, control, or use facilities to detain removable aliens.  The Secretary of Homeland Security, further, shall take all appropriate actions to ensure the detention of aliens apprehended for violations of immigration law pending the outcome of their removal proceedings or their removal from the country, to the extent permitted by law.

Sec. 11.  Federal-State Agreements.  To ensure State and local law enforcement agencies across the United States can assist with the protection of the American people, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law, and with the consent of State or local officials as appropriate, take appropriate action, through agreements under section 287(g) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1357(g)) or otherwise, to authorize State and local law enforcement officials, as the Secretary of Homeland Security determines are qualified and appropriate, to perform the functions of immigration officers in relation to the investigation, apprehension, or detention of aliens in the United States under the direction and the supervision of the Secretary of Homeland Security.  Such authorization shall be in addition to, rather than in place of, Federal performance of these duties.  To the extent permitted by law, the Secretary of Homeland Security may structure each agreement under section 287(g) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1357(g)) in the manner that provides the most effective model for enforcing Federal immigration laws in that jurisdiction.

Sec. 12.  Encouraging Voluntary Compliance with the Law.  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, and subject to adequate safeguards, assurances, bonds, and any other lawful measure, to adopt policies and procedures to encourage aliens unlawfully in the United States to voluntarily depart as soon as possible, including through enhanced usage of the provisions of section 240B of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1229c), international agreements or assistance, or any other measures that encourage aliens unlawfully in the United States to depart as promptly as possible, including through removals of aliens as provided by section 250 of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1260).

Sec. 13.  Recalcitrant Countries.  The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action to:

(a)  Cooperate and effectively implement, as appropriate, the sanctions provided by section 243(d) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1253(d)), with the Secretary of State, to the maximum extent permitted by law, ensuring that diplomatic efforts and negotiations with foreign states include the foreign states’ acceptance of their nationals who are subject to removal from the United States; and

(b)  Eliminate all documentary barriers, dilatory tactics, or other restrictions that prevent the prompt repatriation of aliens to any foreign state.  Any failure or delay by a foreign state to verify the identity of a national of that state shall be considered in carrying out subsection (a) this section, and shall also be considered regarding the issuance of any other sanctions that may be available to the United States.

Sec. 14.  Visa Bonds.  The Secretary of Treasury shall take all appropriate action, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, to establish a system to facilitate the administration of all bonds that the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security may lawfully require to administer the provisions of the INA.

Sec. 15.  Reestablishment of the VOICE Office and Addressing Victims of Crimes Committed by Removable Aliens.  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall direct the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take all appropriate and lawful action to reestablish within ICE an office to provide proactive, timely, adequate, and professional services to victims of crimes committed by removable aliens, and those victims’ family members.  The Attorney General shall also ensure that the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 3771 are followed in all Federal prosecutions involving crimes committed by removable aliens.

Sec. 16.  Addressing Actions by the Previous Administration.  The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall promptly take all appropriate action, consistent with law, to rescind the policy decisions of the previous administration that led to the increased or continued presence of illegal aliens in the United States, and align any and all departmental activities with the policies set out by this order and the immigration laws.  Such action should include, but is not limited to:

(a)  ensuring that the parole authority under section 212(d)(5) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)) is exercised on only a case-by-case basis in accordance with the plain language of the statute, and in all circumstances only when an individual alien demonstrates urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit derived from their particular continued presence in the United States arising from such parole;

(b)  ensuring that designations of Temporary Protected Status are consistent with the provisions of section 244 of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1254a), and that such designations are appropriately limited in scope and made for only so long as may be necessary to fulfill the textual requirements of that statute; and

(c)  ensuring that employment authorization is provided in a manner consistent with section 274A of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1324a), and that employment authorization is not provided to any unauthorized alien in the United States.

Sec. 17.  Sanctuary Jurisdictions.  The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, to the maximum extent possible under law, evaluate and undertake any lawful actions to ensure that so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions, which seek to interfere with the lawful exercise of Federal law enforcement operations, do not receive access to Federal funds.  Further, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall evaluate and undertake any other lawful actions, criminal or civil, that they deem warranted based on any such jurisdiction’s practices that interfere with the enforcement of Federal law.

Sec. 18.  Information Sharing.  (a)  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall promptly issue guidance to ensure maximum compliance by Department of Homeland Security personnel with the provisions of 8 U.S.C. 1373 and 8 U.S.C. 1644 and ensure that State and local governments are provided with the information necessary to fulfill law enforcement, citizenship, or immigration status verification requirements authorized by law; and

(b)  The Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate action to stop the trafficking and smuggling of alien children into the United States, including through the sharing of any information necessary to assist in the achievement of that objective.

Sec. 19.  Funding Review.  The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall:

(a)  Immediately review and, if appropriate, audit all contracts, grants, or other agreements providing Federal funding to non-governmental organizations supporting or providing services, either directly or indirectly, to removable or illegal aliens, to ensure that such agreements conform to applicable law and are free of waste, fraud, and abuse, and that they do not promote or facilitate violations of our immigration laws;

(b)  Pause distribution of all further funds pursuant to such agreements pending the results of the review in subsection (a) of this section;

(c)  Terminate all such agreements determined to be in violation of law or to be sources of waste, fraud, or abuse and prohibit any such future agreements;

(d)  Coordinate with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to ensure that no funding for agreements described in subsection (c) of this section is included in any appropriations request for the Department of Justice or the Department of Homeland Security; and

(e)  Initiate clawback or recoupment procedures, if appropriate, for any agreements described in subsection (c) of this section.

Sec. 20.  Denial of Public Benefits to Illegal Aliens.  The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall take all appropriate action to ensure that all agencies identify and stop the provision of any public benefits to any illegal alien not authorized to receive them under the provisions of the INA or other relevant statutory provisions.

Sec. 21.  Hiring More Agents and Officers.  Subject to available appropriations, the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, shall take all appropriate action to significantly increase the number of agents and officers available to perform the duties of immigration officers.

Sec. 22.  Severability.  It is the policy of the United States to enforce this order to the maximum extent possible to advance the interests of the United States. Accordingly:

(a)  If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its other provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby; and

(b)  If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid because of the failure to follow certain procedures, the relevant executive branch officials shall implement those procedural requirements to conform with existing law and with any applicable court orders.

Sec. 23.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)  the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

     January 20, 2025.

 

 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  (a)  As Chief Executive and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have no more solemn responsibility than protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United States along our national borders.  The protection of a nation’s territorial integrity and national boundaries is paramount for its security.

(b)  The Armed Forces of the United States have played a long and well-established role in securing our borders against threats of invasion, against unlawful forays by foreign nationals into the United States, and against other transnational criminal activities that violate our laws and threaten the peace, harmony, and tranquility of the Nation.  These threats have taken a variety of forms over our Nation’s history, but the Armed Forces have consistently played an integral role in protecting the sovereignty of the United States.

(c)  Threats against our Nation’s sovereignty continue today, and it is essential that the Armed Forces staunchly continue to participate in the defense of our territorial integrity and sovereignty.  A National Emergency currently exists along the southern border of the United States.  Unchecked unlawful mass migration and the unimpeded flow of opiates across our borders continue to endanger the safety and security of the American people and encourage further lawlessness.  Accordingly, through this order, I am acting in accordance with my solemn duty to protect and defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United States along our national borders.

Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to ensure that the Armed Forces of the United States prioritize the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United States along our national borders.

Sec. 3.  Implementation.  The Secretary of Defense shall: 

(a)  No later than 10 days from the effective date of this order, deliver to the President a revision to the Unified Command Plan that assigns United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) the mission to seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States by repelling forms of invasion including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities.

(b)  On the effective date of this order, add the following requirements to the Contingency Planning Guidance and Guidance for the Employment of the Force:

(i)    A Level 3 planning requirement for USNORTHCOM to seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States by repelling forms of invasion, including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities, with a commander’s estimate due to the Secretary of Defense within 30 days of the effective date of this order.

(ii)   A campaign planning requirement for USNORTHCOM to provide steady-state southern border security, seal the border, and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States by repelling forms of invasion, including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities.

(iii)  Continuous assessments of all available options to protect the sovereign territory of the United States from mass unlawful entry and impingement on our national sovereignty and security by foreign nations and transnational criminal organizations.

Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 20, 2025.

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