Trump pens executive orders on bureaucratic reform, immigrant funding

President Donald Trump issued another round of executive orders on Wednesday that he said would pare down the size and scope of the federal government in order to increase accountability and reduce wasteful spending. Trump insisted that all three orders aided the overall goal of saving taxpayer dollars by reducing unnecessary government spending and streamlining government priorities.

What aims did each of the three executive orders have and what actions did they take?

Order No. 1: Ensuring lawful governance and deregulation

• To combat overregulation, agency heads will work with team leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to either amend or rescind government regulations that are inconsistent with the law or Trump administration policy, according to this executive order. The administration will prioritize regulations with substantially high costs.

• To combat federal overreach, agencies will deprioritize enforcement of actions that stretch their statutory authority or exceed the federal government’s constitutional powers.

Order No. 2: Reducing the size of the federal bureaucracy

• This executive order effectively shrinks the level of activity and spending of governmental entities and federal advisory committees the president has designated as unnecessary. The order cuts that activity and spending to the minimum amount allowable by law.

• The order mandates that the president will, within a month, review a list of potentially unnecessary entities and federal advisory councils that could be designated for termination. Groups like the United States African Development Foundation or the U.S. Institute of Peace were listed among the organizations potentially on the chopping block.

Order No. 3: Ending tax-supported programs for illegal migrants

• This executive order requires all departments and agencies to audit and amend all federally funded programs that financially benefit illegal migrants.

• Requires that departments and agencies ensure that federal funds to state and local governments are not supporting sanctuary city policies or assisting illegal migration.

• Tightens eligibility requirements to prevent undocumented people from receiving government benefits

The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee estimated that up to $451 billion in taxpayer dollars went to care for illegal aliens—including those who escaped capture after crossing the border— who entered the United States since January 2021, according to the White House. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Biden Administration’s open borders policies cost over $16.2 billion in federal and state taxes. Trump hoped to use the repurposed funding to support American veterans or those living with disabilities, the White House release added.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report on other executive orders Trump issued earlier this week.