During his first weeks in office, President Donald Trump signed more than 40 executive orders. An executive order is an order issued by the president that has the force of a law within the executive branch and for federal agencies. It takes effect immediately unless stated otherwise. Checks and balances apply – courts can deem an executive order unconstitutional and Congress is able to pass laws to override it or limit its enforcement. As students and future leaders, it’s necessary for students to know the different terms and implications of a few of these executive orders.
The executive order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” was signed January 20th 2025. The goal is to aid in stopping illegal crossings into the United States, crime, and trafficking, furthermore, it’s intended to protect the country by enforcing immigration laws. Border security officers are being added as well. Those who enter the U.S. illegally will face stricter consequences and only legal immigrants can seek aid from the government. On the same day he signed “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.” It is meant to put in place the rule that babies born in the United States will not get birthright citizenship if their parents are not legal residents or citizens. This would apply to children born to parents who are visiting temporarily such as a tourist or someone on a student visa. However, this particular order has been challenged as unconstitutional, if upheld this law would start. This will not change the citizenship status for children who were born before this executive order regardless of your parents’ immigration status.
In addition to immigration being a main concern of Trump, Education also had a large role in the executive orders he signed. “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” signed on January 29th, 2025 prevents schools from teaching certain ideas such as those including critical race theory, an increase in parents involvement in what’s being taught. Federal agencies have to make sure schools follow the laws on parents’ rights to know what their children are being taught. In addition to this executive order on the same day, he signed “Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families.” This was established to help families choose schools that are the best for their children such as private schools and charter schools. The goal of this is to utilize government funding by making it applicable to everyone and give kids better education opportunities.
Moreover, Trump addressed gender policies in sports and healthcare. The executive order for “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” signed February 5th, 2025 states that only biological females can compete in women’s sports to maintain fair competition among athletes. Furthermore, schools that allow males in women’s sports are at risk of losing federal funding. This rule can only be enforced by the Secretary of Education. The State Department also has the ability to push these rules when it comes to international sports, like the Olympics. On the other hand, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” signed January 28th, 2025 prohibits funding and promotion for medical procedures that alter minors’ biological sex, including puberty blockers, surgery and hormone treatments. This order rejects treatments and guidelines from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and does not allow agencies to fund institutions that provide these treatments.
To many students, hearing about politics and the latest executive orders without knowing all of the details involved can cause unrest. It’s necessary now more than ever for us all to do our individual unbiased research in order to remain educated.
