President-elect Donald Trump is wasting no time signaling a dramatic shift in U.S. immigration policy, aiming to undo much of the Biden administration’s approach in one fell swoop. His first day in office is expected to feature nearly a dozen executive orders, with a focus on tightening border security, overhauling immigration enforcement, and targeting international cartels. True to Trump’s style, the plan is ambitious, unapologetically aggressive, and designed to send a loud message: the days of open-border policies are done.
A central feature of Trump’s strategy is the immediate resumption of border wall construction—a hallmark of his first administration that was effectively abandoned under Biden. Alongside this, his orders will dismantle Biden-era parole policies, such as the CBP One app, which allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants from countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. The numbers don’t lie: nearly 1.5 million migrants have utilized these programs, which critics argue turned the southern border into a revolving door. Trump’s revival of the Remain-in-Mexico policy will force asylum seekers to wait south of the border, a stark contrast to the release-and-hope-for-the-best approach many conservatives blame for exacerbating the immigration crisis.
Another executive order will direct U.S. troops to the southern border, placing the military front and center in border enforcement under U.S. Northern Command. This isn’t just for show. The directive will mandate seamless coordination between military resources, federal law enforcement, and intelligence agencies to shore up national sovereignty. While critics will likely decry the militarization of border security, Trump’s supporters see it as a long-overdue correction to what they view as years of neglect under the Biden administration.
One of Trump’s boldest moves will be the classification of international cartels, including notorious groups like MS-13, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. This designation will grant the government the ability to freeze assets, impose sanctions, and take direct action against cartel members and their networks. By framing cartels as national security threats, Trump is signaling a no-tolerance stance on drug trafficking and cross-border violence. The message is clear: these groups will be treated not as mere criminals but as enemies of the state.
With ten executive orders on immigration set to roll out, Trump’s administration is making it clear that border security isn’t just a policy priority—it’s the foundation of his return to the presidency. Conservatives will hail the swift action as a restoration of order, while critics are sure to label the measures as overreach. Either way, Trump’s approach leaves no room for ambiguity. The southern border is back in the spotlight, and the incoming administration is making sure no one misses the point.
