Securing Our Borders
Executive Order 14165, titled Securing Our Borders and issued by President Donald J. Trump, directs federal agencies to take aggressive, top-to-bottom measures to “secure the borders” and restore what the administration calls “complete operational control.” The order lays out a broad policy framework to deter illegal entries, detain and remove those who violate immigration laws, and expand enforcement partnerships with state and local authorities. It also pushes for rapid deployment of personnel, construction of physical barriers, end to catch-and-release practices, and a aggressive stance on parole and asylum processing (including the resume of Migrant Protection Protocols). The order emphasizes DNA testing for detained aliens, tighter identification checks, and prioritized prosecutions for border-related offenses. It is an executive directive intended to be implemented within existing law and appropriations, and it explicitly states it does not create rights. Key provisions push for a comprehensive, hardline approach: expand physical barriers and monitoring, increase on-the-ground personnel, detain and promptly remove violators, restart protocols that return migrants to their home territories, overhaul parole programs, enhance international cooperation, tighten identification and DNA requirements, and prioritize prosecutions tied to border offenses. The order frames these actions as necessary to curb illicit migration, drugs, and criminal activity associated with irregular border crossings.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of a unified border policy and goal of “complete operational control,” including building barriers, deterring entry, detaining apprehended aliens, removing violators, prosecuting border-related offenses, and expanding federal-local partnerships.
- 2Physical barriers: Directive to deploy and construct temporary and permanent barriers along the southern border, supported by personnel and technology, to achieve operational control.
- 3Detention and removal emphasis: Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to detain aliens apprehended for immigration violations to the fullest extent permitted by law and to end or reduce catch-and-release practices, with policy guidance or regulations to standardize detention.
- 4Parole and processing reforms: Orders changes to parole programs and policies, including ceasing the use of the CBP One app as a parole mechanism, terminating certain categorical parole programs (e.g., Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans), and aligning all parole determinations with the policy framework of the order and applicable law.
- 5Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and identification measures: Mandates resumption of MPP in all border sectors (returning certain migrants to their territory pending removal), plus DNA testing and use of identification technologies to verify relationships and deter fraudulent claims, with emphasis on strengthening border-related prosecutions and international coordination.