The three executive orders issued by the Trump administration on April 28, 2025, are a new attempt to abrogate powers that it does not have and to disregard the Constitution in a desperate effort to continue to persecute migrants.

One of the executive orders aims to empower law enforcement agents to pursue criminals and protect innocent citizens. The executive order maintains a discourse that labels migrants as dangerous and incites conflict between one part of the population and the other, a theme that is central to this administration's agenda. The measure reiterates that the focus should be on the prosecution of crime, over other objectives related to racial or gender equity; and creates a mechanism to support officers facing civil or criminal proceedings related to possible misconduct in the performance of their duties, among others.

‍Alianza Americas is concerned that the executive order directs surplus military and homeland security assets to public safety and law enforcement functions. Militarizing the police poses a danger to the entire population because armed forces are not trained, nor do they have the weapons to fulfill this function. This measure puts the entire population at risk, which is precisely the opposite of what it is supposed to achieve.

In the same discursive line of antagonizing the population, another of the executive orders titled “Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens,” provides for a series of actions against sanctuary jurisdictions, including listing them, threatening funding cuts, and suing them. Finally, it insists that any policy that favors resident aliens over citizens is illegal. It specifically mentions universities that offer reduced, in-state tuition for foreign students, which the government claims discriminates against non-resident nationals.

‍Alianza Americas laments the short-sightedness of the government that does not understand that foreign students are a valuable contribution to U.S. society. Local jurisdictions know firsthand the value and contributions of migrants and the impossibility of distinguishing them from the rest of the population. Precisely and in application of the existing legislation, jurisdictions choose not to enter into cooperation agreements with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), as established in section 287g of the Immigration and Nationality Act, in order to privilege the safety and well-being of the entire community. This is a prerogative established by current legislation, which the President cannot disregard, arguing the supremacy of his power in immigration matters. The executive must act in compliance with the law.

Finally, the third executive order claims to seek compliance with ”common sense” rules of the road for U.S. truck drivers. This executive order focuses on the level of English proficiency that those who drive heavy vehicles must have and it mandates modifying the test and taking other actions to improve their working conditions. This measure has a direct impact on Mexican and French-speaking Canadian truck drivers.

‍Alianza Americas regrets the government's priorities, and questions the motives behind this measure. However, it calls for this opportunity to strengthen and protect the rights of people who drive freight vehicles, live on the road, and work long hours away from their families. The English test must be adequate for the needs of economic activity and should not be used to discriminate. Finally, we express our concern over a measure that could contribute to inflation and make trade more difficult in North America, an economically integrated region with complex levels of interdependence in the food sector and industry.

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Alianza Americas is the premier transnational advocacy network of Latin American migrant-led organizations working in the United States, across the Americas, and globally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America.

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Three Executive Orders Contrary to the Constitution and the Rule of Law.

Three Executive Orders Contrary to the Constitution and the Rule of Law.

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