via Huffington Post
It has been exactly one week since Trump took office. In the flood of political coverage lately, it’s easy to get lost in the sheer quantity of data and news out there, so here’s a list of some of the most controversial actions he has taken so far.
1. Issued an order to temporarily ban Muslim immigrants.
Trump’s executive order on immigration would immediately ban immigrants and visitors from the Muslim countries of Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Iran, Libya, and Sudan for the next 30 days even if they have a visa or relatives in the United States. The order also calls for the halt of the acceptance of Syrian refugees to the United States for the next 120 days.
2. Ordered the construction of the Mexican border wall.
Trump has followed through on his campaign promise and plans to go forward with the building of the Mexican border wall. After the announcement, the President of Mexico canceled his scheduled meeting with Trump. To pay for the wall, the Trump administration is considering placing a 20% import tax on goods coming into the United States. Additionally, in order to rid the country of illegal immigrants already here, Trump has promised to step up deportations and to decrease funding to self-proclaimed sanctuary cities that fail to report information on illegal immigrants.
3. Froze grants and contracts handled by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Trump administration told the EPA to immediately stop doling out grants and contracts which could severely thwart the progress of research and environmental initiatives across the country. The Trump administration has also reportedly asked employees at multiple executive departments to limit their communications with the public, raising concerns about transparency.
4. Resurrected the Dakota and Keystone pipeline projects.
Trump has resurrected the Dakota and Keystone pipeline projects that were rejected by Obama. While the pipeline projects are expected to generate many jobs, they raise concerns about environmental degradation. The Dakota access pipeline in particular is controversial because it would be constructed less than a mile from the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
5. Updated the White House website.
The White House website is no longer available in Spanish. Pages on climate change and LGBTQ rights have also been deleted.
6. Reinstated the Mexico City Policy.
Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Mexico City Policy which bans federal funding from going to international NGOs that provide abortions. This means that organizations who provide other maternal health services like medical care during the birth of the child and postnatal care in addition to abortions will no longer receive funding.
7. Initiated the repeal of Obamacare.
Trump has issued an order that works to undermine Obamacare as its overarching message is that federal agencies should wave provisions of the Affordable Care Act that are overly costly for insurers (to the extent permitted by law). The Washington Post reported that repealing the Affordable Care Act will cause more than 43,000 Americans to die every year.
8. Inspired protests across the nation and around the world.
via Twitter
If you are angry about any of the actions above, know that you are not alone. The women’s march that took place in some of the largest cities in the country and happened the day after Trump was inaugurated is being referred to as the largest protest in U.S. history. Further, anti-Trump protests extended beyond our national borders and were reported in Britain, Belgium, and the Philippines.
Unfortunately, it looks like Trump is sticking to a lot of the promises he made on the campaign trail. Although, it is important to remember that Trump signing a bunch of orders does not necessarily make it law – the checks and balances of our government assures that. The descriptions I have provided above are very brief. To get a full picture of the issues at hand, I encourage everyone to research and stay up to date on Trump’s actions. These actions have the possibility to affect us all.
If you are upset and are looking for ways to get involved, consider contacting your local senators and congressmen to let them know your opinions or subscribing to news organizations like the New York Times and the Washington Post to support independent journalism. You might also want to consider working with or donating to some of the organizations listed below:
American Civil Liberties Union: https://www.aclu.org
Planned Parenthood: https://www.plannedparenthood.org
The Center for Reproductive Rights: https://www.reproductiverights.org
International Refugee Assistance Program: https://refugeerights.org
NAACP Legal Defense Fund: http://www.naacpldf.org
The Trevor Project: http://www.thetrevorproject.org
The Human Rights Campaign: http://www.hrc.org
Natural Resources Defense Council: https://www.nrdc.org