Donald Trump has signed his first tranche of executive orders on the first day of his second term as president of the United States.
It was anticipated Mr Trump would sign up to 100 orders on his first day back in the White House.
In the end, the figure was just shy of 50.
Mr Trump has spoken openly about his plans to grow domestic energy production, crack down on the Mexican border and end diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government.
Here’s what we know.
What is an executive order?
They are essentially statements about how the president wants the federal government to be managed, which can mean instructions to federal agencies or requests for reports.
Donald Trump signed a second round of executive orders in the Oval Office. (Reuters: Carlos Barria)
Executive orders can also play an important role in laying out major policy agendas.
While these orders are legally binding, they are not legislation as they don’t require approval from Congress.
It doesn’t necessarily mean the president can enact orders without challenge, as Congress could still block an order from being fulfilled by removing funding or creating other hurdles.
Only a sitting US president can overturn an existing executive order.
New presidents will often issue orders to cancel the orders of their predecessors.
Other presidential documents — such as proclamations and political memorandums — can also be similar to executive orders, but have different purposes.
However, all three are used by presidents to pursue actions they can’t get through Congress.
What are the limitations to executive orders?
There have been several thousand executive orders signed throughout US history, according to data collected by the American Presidency Project at the University of California.
During his first term, Mr Trump signed 220 orders and Joe Biden had signed 160, as of December 20.
Donald Trump signed 220 executive orders during his first term.
But there are limitations to executive orders, as both Congress and the courts can potentially block orders.
In 1992, Congress revoked an executive order by then-president George HW Bush that would establish a human foetal tissue bank for scientific research.
Congress did this by passing a measure that meant the order would “not have any legal effect”.
And, Congress can also deny funding to agencies and those behind the enforcement of an order.
These orders could also be legally challenged based on the argument that a president went beyond their legal authority.
This was seen when the US Supreme Court said then-president Harry Truman lacked the authority to take private property without authorisation from Congress, when he tried to seize steel mills during the Korean War.
Mr Trump signed an order that withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement.
What executive orders has Donald Trump signed so far?
Mr Trump has signed a wide-ranging number of executive orders, with some aimed at walking back from climate action and others focused on “restoring free speech” in the US.
National ‘border emergency’
U.S. border patrol agent Alessio Faccin walks along the border fence separating Mexico from the United States near Calexico, California, U.S. February 8, 2017. Picture taken February 8, 2017.(Reuters: Mike Blake)
“America’s sovereignty is under attack,” the order said.
“Our southern border is overrun by cartels, criminal gangs, known terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers, unvetted military-age males from foreign adversaries, and illicit narcotics that harm Americans, including America.
“To protect the security and safety of United States citizens, to protect each of the states against invasion, and to uphold my duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, it is my responsibility as president to ensure that the illegal entry of aliens into the United States via the southern border be immediately and entirely stopped.”
Mr Trump rolled back a number of immigration policies announced by the Biden administration, and ordered the shut down of the CBP One app.
Migrants seeking asylum in the US gather near the fence on the US-Mexico border, as they wait to be processed.(Reuters: Jose Luis Gonzalez)
The app allowed migrants to schedule appointments to gain entry into the US and was previously credited by officials as streamlining the border crossing process.
It is expected his border policies could result in mass deportations, and Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has previously signalled her desire to help those impacted by the changes.
The order would also remove the word “gender” from federal documents, and replace it with “sex”.
While the federal government has no control over how people identify, it can enforce the declaration on documents such as passports and visas.
American civil rights organisation focused on LGBTQI+ activism Lambda Legal said it would look to sue over the order.
“While much of what is called for by the executive orders signed today will take time to implement, we will vigilantly monitor and be ready to challenge when they take effect,” a spokesperson said.
“We are exploring every legal avenue to challenge these unlawful and unconstitutional actions. This is not only about politics and ideology — but also about real people’s lives.”
End to automatic citizenship
Generic shot of an American Flag (Getty Images: Joe Raedle)
Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the 14th amendment of the US Constitution, and dictates:
“All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”
It was adopted in 1868 to ensure citizenship for Black people.
Mr Trump said automatic citizenship was “just ridiculous” and said he was on “good legal ground” to change it.
However he has already been challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union and other advocates.
They have initiated a lawsuit over the order, arguing Mr Trump would be wrongly denying a right enshrined in the constitution.
The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU, Asian Law Caucus, State Democracy Defenders Fund and Legal Defense Fund on behalf of organisations with members whose children were born on US soil and would be denied citizenship.
“Birthright citizenship embodies America’s most fundamental promise: that all children born on our soil begin life as full and equal members of our national community, regardless of their parents’ origins, status, or circumstances,” according to the complaint filed in Concord, New Hampshire.
“This principle has enabled generations of children to pursue their dreams and build a stronger America.”
Pardoned January 6 convictions
Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump rally at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021.(AP: Jose Luis Magana)
Amnesty International has already condemned the order as “reckless” and “short-sighted” while the World Resources Institute said the Paris Agreement remained essential to combating climate change.
“It simply makes no sense for the United States to voluntarily give up political influence and pass up opportunities to shape the exploding green energy market,” an institute spokesperson said.
“Sitting on the sidelines also means the United States will have fewer levers to hold other major economies accountable for living up to their commitments.”
The ‘restoration of free speech’
Mr Trump has been supported throughout his campaign and inauguration events by social media giants like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
Mr Trump said the administration over the last four years had restricted free speech, particularly online.
“[The administration] trampled free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms, often by exerting substantial coercive pressure on third parties, such as social media companies, to moderate, deplatform, or otherwise suppress speech that the federal government did not approve,” the order said.
The order highlighted particular concerns over the government censoring information ‘under the guise’ of misinformation.
Mr Trump’s order comes just weeks after Meta announced it would no longer continue with its fact-checking service, with chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg claiming he had been inspired by Elon Musk’s work at X — formerly known as Twitter.
Mr Musk will head up a role in Mr Trump’s government, responsible for the Department of Government Efficiency.
The order also called for an investigation into the Biden administration’s impact on freedom of speech.
TikTok went dark earlier this week in the US after continued discussions about its Chinese ownership.
Under a law passed last year, the platform was ordered to cut ties with ByteDance or shut down its US operation to resolve concerns it posed a threat to US national security.
When it failed to do so, the app went dark on Sunday with a message about working with Donald Trump to ensure a possible solution.
It quickly came back online on Monday, with the app again posting a message thanking the incoming president for his support.
Mr Trump previously suggested that an American buyer should purchase half of the company and run it as a 50-50 joint venture with its current owners, on his Truth Social account.
However US outlets said it would remain unclear if this ownership arrangement could satisfy those in Congress who have ongoing national security concerns.
Renaming the Gulf of Mexico
Unused oil rigs sit in the Gulf of Mexico near Port Fourchon, Louisiana August 11, 2010. REUTERS/Lee Celano/File Photo(Reuters: Lee Celano)
The Gulf is an ocean basin bounded by the US, Cuba and Mexico, and is an important centre of economic activity including maritime transport and oil and gas production.
The name would be changed on US-used maps and in federal references, but other nations would not have an obligation to follow suit.
A map showing the international borders for the Gulf of Mexico from Maritime Regions.org. (Flanders Marine Institute/MarineRegions.org)
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has previously signalled her support for the move, saying her staff would be working on the legislation.
The report found about 10 per cent of federal employees work remotely.
American Federation of Government Employees president Everett Kelley said the move would not be helpful in attracting new employees.
“To justify this backward action, lawmakers and members of President Trump’s transition team have spent months exaggerating the number of federal employees who telework and accusing those who do of failing to perform the duties of their jobs,” he said.
American Federation of Government Employees president Everett Kelley(American Federation of Government Employees)
“The truth is that less than half of all federal jobs are eligible for telework, and the workers who are eligible to telework still spend most of their work hours at their regular duty stations.
“Rather than undoing decades of progress in workplace policies that have benefited both employees and their employers, I encourage the Trump administration to rethink its approach and focus on what it can do to make government programs work better for the American people.”
Mr Trump also announced the termination of a number of diversity, inclusion and accessibility programs in workplaces.
Other executive orders signed by Mr Trump in his first day include:
Withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization.
Ensuring states carrying out the death penalty have a “sufficient supply” of lethal injection drugs.
Rescinding 78 Biden-era orders, including a ban on off-shore drilling.
/10] Anti-immigrant marchers walk through the streets of Johannesburg on the day of an unofficial deadline set by anti-immigrant groups for all undocumented migrants to leave, in Johannesburg, South Africa, June 30. REUTERS/Oupa Nkosi Purchase Licensing Rights
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Thousands of people marched Tuesday in cities across South Africa to demand the departure of undocumented foreign nationals after a weeks-long campaign that has sent thousands fleeing and claimed four lives.
Protesters gesture towards people they believe to be undocumented foreign nationals while marching during a demonstration by the “March and March” and Operation Dudula movements marking an unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, in Johannesburg, on June 30, 2026. Thousands of demonstrators massed across South African cities on June 30, 2026, venting anger at undocumented foreign nationals as police mounted a major operation to head off looting and xenophobic violence that has claimed four lives. The nationwide protests cap weeks of demonstrations called by a loose coalition of minor political parties and small citizen-led vigilante groups, which set an unofficial June 30 deadline for foreigners without residency papers to leave. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
Police were out in force for the nationwide protests which capped a campaign of demonstrations led by citizen-led vigilante groups that set an unofficial June 30 deadline for foreigners without papers to leave.
There were isolated reports of looting, stone-throwing and confrontation, including near Johannesburg where security forces escorted a handful of foreign nationals away from a mob brandishing large sticks.
Crowds of demonstrators moved through the centre of the city, South Africa’s financial capital, where most shops were shuttered, workers stayed home, and transport hubs were quiet.
Protesters, some wearing traditional Zulu attire, chant slogans as they gather during a demonstration by the “March and March” and Operation Dudula movements marking an unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, in Johannesburg, on June 30, 2026. South African police deployed to head off unrest and protests on June 30, 2026, the unofficial deadline set by anti-immigrant groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave that has already pushed thousands to flee. Officers were out in force to prevent violence and looting by the xenophobic groups, while hundreds of foreign nationals took refuge in several cities, urgently seeking help to leave. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
They waved flags and placards, watched by police in bulletproof jackets and riot helmets.
In the southeastern city of Durban, the Zulu heartland, protesters turned out in traditional warrior attire, carrying spears, whips and shields and some draped in leopard skins.
Protesters throw rocks at a building while marching with others during a demonstration by the “March and March” and Operation Dudula movements marking an unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, in Johannesburg, on June 30, 2026. Thousands of demonstrators massed across South African cities on June 30, 2026, venting anger at undocumented foreign nationals as police mounted a major operation to head off looting and xenophobic violence that has claimed four lives. The nationwide protests cap weeks of demonstrations called by a loose coalition of minor political parties and small citizen-led vigilante groups, which set an unofficial June 30 deadline for foreigners without residency papers to leave. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)A resident waves a South African flag in support as protesters march during a demonstration by the “March and March” and Operation Dudula movements marking an unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, in Johannesburg, on June 30, 2026. Thousands of demonstrators massed across South African cities on June 30, 2026, venting anger at undocumented foreign nationals as police mounted a major operation to head off looting and xenophobic violence that has claimed four lives. The nationwide protests cap weeks of demonstrations called by a loose coalition of minor political parties and small citizen-led vigilante groups, which set an unofficial June 30 deadline for foreigners without residency papers to leave. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
Demonstrator Brightness Gumbi, 48, said she was frustrated at not being able to afford to rent a premises for her business while foreign nationals were able to run shops.
Members of the Zulu regiment known as the Amabutho chant slogans as they march during a demonstration by the “March and March” movement marking an unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, in Durban, on June 30, 2026. Thousands of demonstrators massed across South African cities on June 30, 2026, venting anger at undocumented foreign nationals as police mounted a major operation to head off looting and xenophobic violence that has claimed four lives. The nationwide protests cap weeks of demonstrations called by a loose coalition of minor political parties and small citizen-led vigilante groups, which set an unofficial June 30 deadline for foreigners without residency papers to leave. (Photo by RAJESH JANTILAL / AFP)
“The illegal foreigners manage to pay it because they sell drugs to our people,” she told AFP. “I hope through these demonstrations our president will hear our cries and enforce stricter laws.”
Protesters gather outside a building they believe is occupied by undocumented foreign nationals during a demonstration by the “March and March” and Operation Dudula movements marking an unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, in Johannesburg, on June 30, 2026. Thousands of demonstrators massed across South African cities on June 30, 2026, venting anger at undocumented foreign nationals as police mounted a major operation to head off looting and xenophobic violence that has claimed four lives. The nationwide protests cap weeks of demonstrations called by a loose coalition of minor political parties and small citizen-led vigilante groups, which set an unofficial June 30 deadline for foreigners without residency papers to leave. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
In tourist magnet Cape Town, only about 100 people joined a march through the city centre, passing a counterprotest against Afrophobia and xenophobia.
– ‘Mass deportation’-
One of the continent’s wealthiest countries, South Africa is a magnet for migrant labour while grappling with an unemployment rate above 30 percent, high crime and a breakdown in services in many areas.
Groups mobilising against illegal immigrants say they take jobs and services from locals, claims that analysts say is unfairly scapegoating foreign nationals for government failures.
“South Africans have been replaced by illegal foreigners, increasing unemployment,” the leader of the anti-immigrant March and March group, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, told a crowd in Durban.
“We want mass deportation,” she said. “For the next six months we want the government to get rid of the people who have not left.”
At least two Mozambicans, an Ethiopian and a Malawian have been killed in the latest outburst of anti-immigrant violence, according to police.
Several African governments — including Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique — have organised voluntary repatriation flights and buses for their citizens.
South Africa has seen previous flare-up of violence targeting undocumented foreign nationals, but this is the first time governments have simultaneously organised repatriations.
More than 25,000 people had been processed for departure in recent weeks, authorities said Monday.
– ‘I’m scared’ –
As the protests unfolded in several cities, hundreds of migrants — mostly Malawians and Zimbabweans — gathered in Cape Town, Johannesburg and other centres, waiting for assistance to go home.
Some said their landlords had evicted them or their employers had fired them, fearing fines from officials or attacks by vigilante groups.
“The people in South Africa, they don’t want us here. I’m scared,” said a 23-year-old Zimbabwean woman, who asked to remain anonymous, where around 2,000 people were waiting for buses.
Only a few dozen Malawians remained at a site in Durban from where several thousand had been bused out in recent days, either taken back to their country or to a processing site near the border with Zimbabwe.
“I thought I could stay on but neighbours warned us last night,” 32-year-old Adam John told AFP. “I felt that it is better to try and get home while I still can.”
– ‘Weaponised’ –
Concerned about a repeat of unrest five years ago when around 350 people were killed in days of looting and riots, the government put in place a massive security deployment for Tuesday’s mobilisation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced stepped-up government plans to combat illegal immigration and called on traditional leaders to use their “standing to calm tensions”.
Coming ahead of local government elections in November, the anti-migrant push has been “politically weaponised”, labour analyst Dale McKinley said.
Previous anti-foreigner riots in South Africa have proved deadly. In 2008, violence left 62 people dead.
The following is the text of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, as read out by a senior US official to reporters on Wednesday:
“The United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran have jointly agreed in good faith on (a date yet to be determined, the official said), on the following:
“Paragraph 1 – The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war, by signing this MOU, declare an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, and ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and other provisions of this paragraph.
“Paragraph 2 – The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran undertake to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs.
“Paragraph 3 – The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to negotiating and achieving the final deal in maximum 60 days extendable with mutual consent.
“Paragraph 4 – Immediately upon the signing of this MOU, the United States of America will begin the removal of its naval blockade and any disturbances or impediments against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and will fully end the naval blockade within 30 days. During this period, the traffic of vessels will be in proportion to the numbers of pre-war traffic being restored by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America further undertakes to remove its forces from the proximity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final deal.
“Paragraph 5 – Upon the signing of this MOU, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman, and vice versa. The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start, and considering the need for removing the technical and military obstacles, and de-mining by the Islamic Republic of Iran, will be instated within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz, in discussion with other Persian Gulf littoral states, in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz.
“Paragraph 6 – The United States of America undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive mutually agreed plan with at least USD 300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mechanism for the implementation of this plan will be finalized as part of a final deal within 60 days. All required licenses, waivers, and permissions needed for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United States of America.
“Paragraph 7 – The United States of America undertakes to terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the United Nations Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral US sanctions, primary and secondary, in an agreed-upon schedule as part of the final deal. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America acknowledge the critical importance of the sanctions termination issue above mentioned, and express their intentions to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.
“Paragraph 8 – The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to resolve the disposition of stockpiled enriched material pursuant to a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon in accordance with the schedule mentioned in Paragraph 7, with the minimum methodology to be down-blending on site under the supervision of the IAEA. The two parties also agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear needs, based on a satisfactory framework being agreed upon in the final deal. The final deal will confirm the provisions of this paragraph. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran acknowledge the critical importance of the nuclear issues above mentioned, and express their intention to immediately address these issues in the negotiation in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.
“Paragraph 9 – Pending the final deal, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to maintain the status quo. The Islamic Republic of Iran will maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program, and the United States of America will not impose any new sanctions, and will not deploy additional forces in the region.
“Paragraph 10 – The United States of America undertakes that immediately upon the signing of this MOU, and until the termination of sanctions, US Department of Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives, and all associated services, including banking transactions, insurances, transportation, etc.
“Paragraph 11 – The United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the implementation of this MOU. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree on the procedures related to the release of these funds during the negotiations. Such funds, whether retained in the original account or transferred, shall be made fully usable for payment to any ultimate beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America undertakes to issue all necessary licenses and authorizations accordingly.
“Paragraph 12 – The United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran agree that an executive mechanism will be established to monitor the successful implementation of this MOU and the future compliance of the final deal.
“Paragraph 13 – After signing this MOU and subject to the beginning of the implementation of Paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of this MOU, and the continuing implementation of these measures, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will start negotiations regarding the final deal exclusively on the other paragraphs.
“Paragraph 14 – The final deal will be endorsed by a binding UNSC resolution.”
Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday accused the United States of violating a fragile ceasefire during the past 48 hours in the southern coastal province of Hormozgan, without specifying the incident.
The accusation comes after US Central Command said its forces had on Monday attacked missile sites and boats in southern Iran that were trying to lay mines in the Gulf, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it fired at US aircraft trying to enter its airspace.
“The US terrorist army, continuing its illegal and unjustified actions since the ceasefire… has, in the past 48 hours, committed a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.
It added that Tehran “will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation,” without elaborating.
Tuesday’s statement came as a top Iranian delegation was in Qatar for talks as part of a “diplomatic process” aimed at ending the war with the United States, which broke out on February 28
