Trump Executive Order and DHS Implementation Memo on Border Enforcement: A Brief Review

On January 25, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order, "Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements," aimed at tightening enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border, including by building barriers along the entire 2,000-mile border.

The order, one of several immigration-related executive orders signed within the first weeks of the Trump administration, includes a series of mandates to obtain "complete operational control" of the Southwest border, as well as expand detention capacity and hire 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents. On February 20, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly issued a memorandum providing clarifying guidance on implementation of the executive order. The order and memo open up the possibility for expanded use of expedited removal (in other words removal without appearance before an immigration judge), as well as a redefinition of who constitutes an unaccompanied child.

This brief, presented in an easy-to-reference side-by-side chart, summarizes and analyzes major provisions of the executive order and DHS memorandum, comparing them to prior policy and practice.