President Donald Trump commenced his term by taking a series of sweeping immigration executive actions starting Monday. This included declaring a national emergency at the US southern border, immediately ending use of a border app called CBP One that had allowed migrants to legally enter the United States, and kicking off the process to end birthright citizenship.
According to reports, Trump also made a significant personnel move, as senior leadership at the Justice Department’s agency overseeing the nation’s immigration courts were removed from service on Monday. The Executive Office for Immigration Review oversees the US immigration court system, where immigration judges decide if immigrants can remain in the US or be deported.
The removals, which targeted career public servants who together have served in the agency for several years, raised questions about whether they were permitted under rules dictated by the Office of Personnel Management.
Those removed Monday are Sheila McNulty, who was serving as chief immigration judge; Mary Cheng, who occupied the EOIR directorship in an acting capacity; Jill Anderson, general counsel at EOIR; and Lauren Alder Reid, acting assistant director at the Office of Administration in EOIR. They served in the agency for several years.
The executive actions are a result of multiple campaign pledges and the resurfacing of policy ideas that didn’t come to fruition during Trump’s first term.
The shutdown of CBP One on Monday closed a key pathway for people looking to come into the US. Homeland Security Department officials have cited the app as helping drive migrant crossings by providing an orderly way to apply to the United States.
But with that now gone, and asylum restrictions in place, the border is effectively shut down to asylum seekers.
Trump signed an action declaring a national emergency at the US southern border and said in his inaugural address that “all illegal entry will immediately be halted.”
That declaration triggers the deployment of additional Pentagon resources and armed forces to finish the border wall, among other efforts. This is focused only on southern border security.
