We have seen a whirlwind of activity in DC over the past week, both administrative and executive. Late last week, the Senate passed their version of the Laken Riley Act, which the House had approved the week prior. The Senate version, however, included a provision that mandates detention and deportation for those accused, but not convicted, of assault on a police officer. The House approved this new version of the bill on Wednesday, and it now goes to the Oval Office to be the first bill that Trump will sign in his new term as president.
Of course, Trump has also been very active, signing over a dozen executive orders (EOs) just on immigration within hours of being sworn into office on Monday. Some of these EOs will take time for agencies to implement, and some will be delayed or blocked by courts. In one EO, Trump has decided that he, and not the Constitution, gets to decide who qualifies as a US citizen and has ordered federal agencies to deny evidence of citizenship to certain children born in the US. States Attorneys General were quick to respond, filing a lawsuit here in Massachusetts to block this blatantly unconstitutional power grab. Another EO has ordered federal agencies to seek ways to punish jurisdictions that do limit cooperation with immigration authorities by withholding federal funding. This is a move we saw fail in the last Trump Administration and are hopeful that the courts will once again strike this down as illegitimate.
However, we are already seeing the impacts in some places. Refugees scheduled to resettle in the US saw their flights here cancelled within a day of Trump’s swearing-in. Similarly, Trump ordered the immediate closure of the southern border, and cancelled use of the CBP One app, which allowed asylum seekers at the border to schedule appointments with DHS personnel. He has also ordered DHS to reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy that left so many vulnerable to violent crimes along the border during his last time in office.
Federal courts are going to be very active in the coming years.
At times like these it’s wise to remember that the headline is not always the story. We encourage all to be thoughtful about the information they hear and the information they repeat, in an effort to avoid spreading misinformation or fear-mongering rhetoric. MIRA will be sharing resources, information and policy updates as they become available on our website, in our weekly bulletin, and on social media, please stay connected!
Update: Just before we posted this update, a federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked Trump’s birthright citizenship order, restoring constitutional order for now. In the case brought by the states of Arizona, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, a Reagen appointee, called Trump’s order “blatantly unconstitutional.”