U.S. President Donald Trump has once again solidified his anti-immigrant stance with the signing of a new executive order challenging so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, which are cities and states that restrict their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
With the signing of this order, he instructs the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to compile and update a list of these jurisdictions. Organizations included in this group could be subject to the withholding of some federal funding and could face legal consequences if they fail to strictly comply with federal immigration regulations.
Within the next 30 days, a comprehensive list of state and local entities that are impeding federal immigration-related work will be published, the order specifies.
The regulation also calls for a more thorough review of the eligibility of residents of these areas to access federally funded public benefits. Trump's action was supported by a planned scheme intended to reinforce the narrative that undocumented immigrants pose a risk to national security.
On Monday, the White House North Lawn was adorned with enormous banners displaying images resembling police searches of individuals allegedly in illegal immigration status, charged with crimes including murder, rape, and child sexual abuse, with the word "Arrested" prominently displayed in capital letters.
The order's arrival comes at a time of great symbolic importance for the Trump administration, which is approaching the end of its first 100 days in this new term. Recognizing the importance of the immigration issue, the president decided to further one of his demands for the presidency.
On Monday, the administration announced that nearly 800 immigrant arrests were made over the weekend in a sweeping operation in Florida, as part of its nationwide crackdown.
The law rekindles both the national and international debate regarding immigrant rights and the humanitarian nature of these measures. In addition to the regulations against sanctuary cities, Trump issued a new executive order requiring truck drivers working in the United States to prove their English proficiency. This, according to his statements, aims to "ensure road safety and the correct interpretation of signs and regulations."
Management believes this requirement is imperative and essential to safeguard all American citizens. Labor unions and civil rights advocates consider these policies to be barriers to employment and a disservice to Latino and Spanish-speaking communities.
The White House's focus is on jurisdictions that are soft on anti-immigrant measures, which also includes refusing to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in carrying out immigration arrests.
With these directives, Trump establishes beyond doubt that his administration will continue to use its executive authority to implement an immigration policy that penalizes state opposition and treats immigrants as criminals, even in situations where legal protection or the right to extended residency exists.
The actions ratified these days not only have an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of individuals, but also pave the way for an immigration strategy based on confrontation, public perception, and strict government control.
A direction that, according to various experts, could accentuate divisions within the nation and generate greater tension between the central government and local governments that choose to oppose it.
