Trump Unleashes Executive Orders On Border Security, Oil Drilling, Domestic Manufacturing In First Acts As President

President Donald Trump announced a set of executive orders shortly after his second inaugural speech Monday.

A Hard Line At The Border

Immigration was at the center of Trump's first action as 47th president. The “Remain in Mexico” policy, for example, requires asylum seekers to wait outside the U.S. while their cases are processed.

Trump wants to bring this policy back and direct federal agencies to begin mass deportations.

The policy was originally implemented during his first term as president in 2019. Critics argued at the time that it exposed migrants to violence and dangerous cartels.

One of his most aggressive moves was officially designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The move grants the government expanded legal authority to target them.

"We will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country," he said, doubling down on nativist language that marked his first campaign. He also invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely used wartime measure, to ramp up efforts against foreign criminal organizations operating in the U.S.

The decision is expected to spark diplomatic tensions, particularly with Mexico.

It’s also worth noting that both Congress and the courts can potentially block Trump’s executive orders.

National Energy Emergency: ‘Drill, Baby, Drill'

In another executive action, Trump declared a national energy emergency. This sets the stage for an aggressive rollback of environmental policies enacted under his predecessor.

“We will drill, baby, drill,” he said, outlining a vision in which the U.S. would rely on its vast fossil fuel reserves to drive economic growth. President Joe Biden presided over a record boom in domestic oil production.

Still, the Trump administration aims to ramp up American energy exports to global markets and effectively dismantle key provisions of the Green New Deal.

The Biden administration introduced legislation to reduce carbon emissions and transition to renewable energy.

Trump also announced the revocation of electric vehicle mandates, calling them a threat to the U.S. auto industry.

“We will bring prices down, fill our strategic reserves up again right to the top, and export American energy all over the world,” he said, arguing that energy independence would be a cornerstone of economic revival.

Trump blamed inflation on “massive overspending and escalating energy prices” and vowed to take immediate action to bring down costs.

He directed his cabinet to use their authority to combat what he described as a “record inflation crisis” and declared a national energy emergency as part of his strategy.

Trade And Manufacturing: The ‘New American Dream'

Trump framed his economic vision as a return to American manufacturing dominance, announcing plans to overhaul the U.S. trade system.

He vowed to shift the burden away from domestic taxpayers and onto foreign competitors, saying, "Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens."

To enforce this, he announced the creation of the “External Revenue Service,” a new agency tasked with collecting tariffs and duties from imports. It’s not clear how this agency would function alongside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which already oversees tariffs and revenue from foreign countries.

"America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something no other country has—the largest amount of oil and gas on Earth," he said, arguing that energy and industry would be the backbone of economic resurgence.

Trump also signaled a broader restructuring of the federal government, establishing a Department of Government Efficiency aimed at eliminating bureaucracy.

See Also: Trump’s DOGE Committee Faces Lawsuits Over Alleged Federal Advisory Violations, Lack Of Transparency

Cultural And Social Shifts

Trump also moved swiftly on social policies, signing an executive order that bars the federal government from factoring race and gender into public policy decisions.

He declared that "there are only two genders, male and female", a stance expected to ignite legal battles with civil rights groups.

Trump promised to reinstate military personnel who had been discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, promising full back pay.

“Our armed forces will be freed to focus on their sole mission, defeating America’s enemies,” he said.

Bold International And Historical Revisions

Trump’s executive orders extended beyond domestic policy, touching on historical and geopolitical issues.

He announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and restore the name of Mount McKinley, which had been changed to Denali under the Obama administration.

Trump also declared that the U.S. would “take back” control of the Panama Canal, arguing that China's influence in the region posed a strategic threat.

Trump vowed to expand U.S. space exploration, declaring that American astronauts would plant “the Stars and Stripes” on Mars. In the background, a visibly pleased Elon Musk gave a thumbs-up as the president spoke.

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