President Donald Trump signed directives, on Wednesday, to begin the construction of a wall on the border between the US and Mexico, and to deny funding to cities that protect undocumented immigrants from federal immigration authorities, as he proceeded with sweeping and controversial plans to change the way that issues, such as national security and immigration, are dealt with by the US.
Extra steps are expected from the new Republican President in the coming days, to limit illegal immigration. These include taking executive action to block US visas from being issued to those from Muslim-majority nations and restricting the number of refugees the nation will accept.
Critics claim that the move will ruin the reputation of the US as a country willing to take all immigrants. But, the Trump administration is determined to take the action it deems necessary to stave off any Islamist militant violence in the country. Two executive orders were signed by the new President, one directing the construction of an estimated 2000 mile wall on the border between the US and Mexico, and the other to strip federal funding from ‘sanctuary cities’ and states, and to increase the number of immigration agents.
After signing the new directives, President Trump noted that there is a crisis on the nation’s southern border, with an unprecedented increase in the number of undocumented immigrants from Central America and claimed that the surge was harming both the US and Mexico.