During a busy first week in office, the new president continued to issue memorandums a executive orders throughout the entire week. On Wednesday, he issued executive orders related to the building of a new wall along the southern border of the country as well as one partially aimed at punishing “sanctuary” jurisdictions with respect to immigration enforcement.
Border wall
One of the biggest pledges during the Trump campaign was the promise to build a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico.
The order calling for the “wall” reads, in part, as follows:
[The Secretary of Homeland Security shall… in] accordance with existing law, including the Secure Fence Act and IIRIRA, take all appropriate steps to immediately plan, design, and construct a physical wall along the southern border, using appropriate materials and technology to most effectively achieve complete operational control of the southern border…
The entire text is available here.
One of the controversies that has been triggered by this is the question of how the structure would be paid for. The White House press secretary initially seemed to indicate that it would be funded by a 20-percent tax on Mexican goods coming into the United States. Since then, the new Administration has backed away from being so definitive on how to pay for the wall, now indicating that the tariff proposal is one of many possible sources.
“Sanctuary” jurisdictions
Also on Wednesday, the new Administration issued an order aimed at addressing, among other issues, “sanctuary” cities and other jurisdictions. The order reads, in part:
It is the policy of the executive branch to… ensure that jurisdictions that fail to comply with applicable Federal law do not receive Federal funds, except as mandated by law…
The order also states the following:
In furtherance of this policy, the Attorney General and the Secretary, in their discretion and to the extent consistent with law, shall ensure that jurisdictions that willfully refuse to comply with 8 U.S.C. 1373 (sanctuary jurisdictions) are not eligible to receive Federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposes by the Attorney General or the Secretary. The Secretary has the authority to designate, in his discretion and to the extent consistent with law, a jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction. The Attorney General shall take appropriate enforcement action against any entity that violates 8 U.S.C. 1373, or which has in effect a statute, policy, or practice that prevents or hinders the enforcement of Federal law.
The text of the executive order is available here.