Change of power in the USA: Trump’s first decisions: migration, trans rights, climate

US President Donald Trump wants to begin his second term in office with momentous decisions for climate protection, migrants and trans people. Immediately after his swearing in, he wants to create facts with so-called executive orders, among other things. Such orders do not require congressional approval, but are also easier to challenge in court. An overview of Trump’s first planned decisions:

Combating irregular migration

With ten planned measures to tighten migration policy, Trump wants to implement one of his central campaign promises. Among other things, Trump announced that he would declare a national emergency at the border with Mexico.

Trump also plans to continue building the wall and send the military to the southern border of the USA. They should “repel the catastrophic invasion of our country,” he said at the Capitol in Washington. He would direct the government to use the “full and immense power” of law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks.

The US President’s measures also provide for the abolition of automatic citizenship for children born in the US of migrants without valid residence status. Experts had previously expressed skepticism as to whether such a step would be constitutional.

Limiting the rights of trans people

Trans people must expect that their existing rights will be restricted. From now on, United States policy will be based on the assumption that there are only two genders, male and female, explained a future government official. Official documents such as passports and visas should therefore show the “correct biological gender” again in the future.

Rename Gulf of Mexico

Shortly after his swearing in, Trump wants the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed. The 47th US President also wants to order the renaming of North America’s highest mountain, Denali. The Gulf of Mexico will in future be called the “Gulf of America” and Mount Denali will be called Mount McKinley again, as Trump declared after his swearing-in in the Capitol.

Rolling backwards in climate protection?

Trump also wants to terminate the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global warming. The White House named the withdrawal as one of Trump’s priorities in a statement. A termination, which must be submitted to the United Nations, would not take effect for another year. Trump also wants to produce more oil and gas in the USA – also to reduce costs for the Americans. A statement from the White House said Biden’s “climate extremism” would be ended. People should no longer be patronized in their decisions, for example when it comes to guidelines for purchasing certain devices.

Panama Canal Claims

In his inaugural speech, Trump announced that the United States would lay claim to the Panama Canal. “We’ll get him back,” he said. It was folly to give the canal to Panama. US ships would have to pay greatly inflated fees. China operates the Panama Canal. “And we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama.” The canal connects the Atlantic with the Pacific and was opened in 1914. In 1999 the USA handed it over to Panama. In an earlier statement, Trump even did not rule out military action to take control of the canal.