Last modified on September 5, 2020, at 01:40

Donald Trump achievements: Immigration and border security (2020)

Official presidential photo of President Donald Trump
Main article: Donald Trump achievements: Immigration and border security

This article is a list of achievements by U.S. President Donald Trump, his administration, and Congress related to immigration, illegal immigration, and border security in 2020.

President Trump and his administration continued advancing conservative immigration policies in 2020.[1] Among other actions, Customs and Border Protection made combating extra-continental migration a priority for 2020,[2] and it worked to end "catch-and-release."[3] The Labor Department increased its scrutiny of attempts by companies to import foreign labor.[4]

Executive actions, 2020

Illegal immigration

The Trump Administration took actions related to illegal immigration enforcement:

  • January 2, 2020—The Trump Administration began fully enforcing its "Remain in Mexico" policy along Arizona's border with Mexico.[5]
  • January 6, 2020—The U.S. Border Patrol announced it would begin implementing an October 2019 DOJ rule and collect DNA samples from certain migrants under U.S. custody.[6]
  • January 6, 2020—The DHS announced the U.S. would begin deporting Mexican asylum seekers to Guatemala to file their claims in the latter country rather than the U.S.[7]
  • January 9, 2020—The U.S. and Honduras finalized the implementation of an asylum agreement originally signed in September 2019.[8]
  • January 14, 2020—It was reported that the DHS had begun deporting illegal migrants from Tucson, Arizona, to Guadalajara, a city over 1,000 miles away from the U.S. southern border, and that it planned on expanding the policy.[9]
  • July 28, 2020—The DHS announced its rejection of any further DACA requests.[10]

Border security

The Trump Administration continued taking actions to strengthen and expand border security on the southern border:

  • The Trump Administration continued constructing new or improved replacement border barriers on the U.S. southern border. On January 10, 2020, the DHS announced it had constructed 100 miles of wall since the beginning of the Trump Administration.[11] The administration was assisted by a January 8, 2020, appeals court ruling allowing it to use $3.6 billion in military funds for border wall construction.[12]
  • In January 2020, the U.S. Army transferred multiple Black Hawk helicopters to the CBP for border enforcement and other operations along the U.S. southern border.[13]
  • In early March 2020, border apprehensions started rising after eight consecutive months of decline, with CBP acting commissioner Mark Morgan crediting the efficiency increase and expansion of the initiatives to President Trump and the latter's administration.[15]
  • According to USA Today on March 19, 2020, Donald Trump announced the closure of the southern border as a measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus.[16] In addition, a poll published on March 17, 2020 showed that 62% of Americans agree that borders should be closed.[17]
  • April 9, 2020—According to The Daily Caller, there was a massive drop in border crossings due to thousands of migrants simply being turned back after orders to enact a travel ban.[19]
  • June 23, 2020—President Trump visited a section of a border wall in Yuma, Arizona to sign a plaque celebrating 200 miles of the barrier constructed.[21]

Other achievements, 2020

hile the following achievements were not official United States government policy actions by the Trump Administration, they were closely related to the Trump Administration and its policies:

  • President Trump's America First immigration policies had benefited American workers by creating a tight jobs market which raised the wages of American workers.[22]
  • The Mexican government continued to help reduce illegal immigration levels to the U.S.[23]
  • After the disastrous effects of globalism and open borders were exemplified with the coronavirus outbreak, Mexico considered restrictions on the U.S. southern border,[24] with governors in Mexico later urging the AMLO to prevent Americans from crossing the border.[25] In addition, as asserted by the NY Daily News, “Mexico just might agree to pay for that wall after all.”[26]
  • March 18, 2020—CBP commissioner Mark Morgan asserted that President Trump's policies such as Migrant Protection Protocols in addition to CDC orders to effectively reject illegal entries by the thousands had lead to massively lower detainees the agency had to deal with and helped contain the coronavirus.[27]
  • April 11, 2020—President Trump threatened to visa sanction countries such that they refuse to accept their citizens who are deported from the United States.[28]
  • April 21, 2020—President Trump announced that the issuing of green cards will be halted for sixty days, with exceptions for essential workers.[29]
  • May 20, 2020—$1.28 billion was given by federal officials to a Trump-favored construction firm to continue the building of a barrier on the southern border.[31]
  • June 22, 2020—President Trump signed a proclamation suspending foreign worker visas for the rest of the year amidst the CCP pandemic.[32]
  • July 21, 2020—President Trump signed a memorandum prohibiting illegal aliens from being counted in the census.[33]
  • August 3, 2020—President Trump signed an executive order limiting federal contractors from hiring foreign workers over American citizens.[34]
  • September 1, 2020—ICE announced the arrests of over two thousand illegal aliens, most of them with criminal convictions.[35]

Setbacks, 2020

The following setbacks to the MAGA agenda were often caused by Congress or officials in the Trump Administration, rather than President Trump himself. Some of them can also be considered partial achievements.

  • Left-wing federal courts continued ruling against President Trump's conservative immigration policies, engaging in judicial activism.[36]
  • As in previous years, some conservatives argued that the Trump Administration's immigration policies were not as conservative as Trump's 2016 campaign promises.[37]
  • In mid-April 2020, despite large efforts made to secure the border, it was reported that smugglers had sawed eighteen times into new border wall portions in a single month.[38]
  • March 24, 2020—Despite a ruling in early March 2020 from the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals that allowed the Trump administration to effectively de-fund sanctuary cities,[39] this was quickly overturned in less than three weeks due to a First Circuit Court ruling.[40]

References

  1. ↑ Multiple references:
  2. ↑ Bensman, Todd (January 4, 2020). In Case You Missed It, CBP Chief Confirmed 'Extra-Continental' Migration as a 2020 Priority. Center for Immigration Studies. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  3. ↑ Munro, Neil (January 14, 2020). Customs and Border Protection Chief: ‘We Have All But Ended Catch and Release’. Breitbart News. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  4. ↑ North, David (January 7, 2020). DoL's Debarments Lists of Bad H-2A and H-2B Employers Get Longer. Center for Immigration Studies. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  5. ↑ Multiple references:
  6. ↑ Multiple references:
  7. ↑ Multiple references: Mexico opposed the DHS's plan: However, Guatemala's president claimed his country had not reached an agreement with the U.S. on this matter: See also:
  8. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  9. ↑ Multiple references:
  10. ↑ Multiple references:
  11. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  12. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  13. ↑ Multiple references:
  14. ↑ Two references:
  15. ↑ Multiple sources:
  16. ↑ Trump announces U.S.-Mexico border closure to stem spread of coronavirus
  17. ↑ 62% Of Americans Want Border Closed
  18. ↑ The US Army just gave a contractor with a history of GOP donations $569 million to build parts of Trump's border wall
  19. ↑ Border Apprehensions Drop, Thousands Of Migrants Turned Back Amid Coronavirus Crisis
  20. ↑ Trump Administration Extends Travel Ban On Mexican Border For Another Month
  21. ↑ Multiple references:
  22. ↑ Ruesterholz, Scott (January 3, 2020). Trump’s Immigration Policy is Finally Putting American Workers First.Townhall. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  23. ↑ Multiple references:
  24. ↑ Mexico Considering U.S. Border Restrictions To Fight Coronavirus Spread
  25. ↑ Mexican Governors Ask AMLO to Stop Americans from Crossing Border
  26. ↑ Mexican protesters stop Americans from crossing the border
  27. ↑ Trump's policies, border wall have been critical in containing coronavirus, CBP chief says: 'We're much better positioned now'
  28. ↑ Multiple references:
  29. ↑ Two references:
  30. ↑ Multiple references:
  31. ↑ Multiple references:
  32. ↑ Multiple references:
  33. ↑ Two references:
  34. ↑ Multiple references:
  35. ↑ Multiple references:
  36. ↑ Horowitz, Daniel (January 10, 2020). Federal judges continue repealing 2016 election, declare open borders. Conservative Review. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  37. ↑ Pauly, Deborah (January 8, 2020). Trump Needs to Get Even Tougher on Immigration. American Greatness. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
    President Trump also made some comments promoting increased legal immigration levels:
  38. ↑ Two references:
  39. ↑ Multiple references:
  40. ↑ First Circuit Rules Against Trump Administration in Sanctuary Cities Case
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