President Donald Trump is expected to announce several executive orders Wednesday dealing with visas and refugees, a congressional source told CNN.
The orders, which make good on a series of immigration campaign promises Trump made, are expected to include restrictions on refugees, and people with some visas from countries including Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Libya.
Trump is expected to sign the executive orders at the Department of Homeland Security Wednesday, a source told CNN, as part of a multi-day roll out on immigration. The source said the refugee/national security executive orders are expected Wednesday, with immigration and sanctuary cities expected Thursday. The source said the sequencing is not finalized, and the details of the timing could change.
Retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, Trump’s pick to lead the Homeland Security department, was confirmed last week by the Senate.
Reuters first reported the details of the executive orders.
Trump launched his campaign on hardline immigration policy, proposing to build a “great, great wall” along the US-Mexico border and later to institute a “complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” until the US government could properly vet people coming in.
But as time went on, Trump’s rhetoric on immigration began to change and, at times, soften.
His aides eventually walked back the Muslim ban to a ban on immigration from countries with widespread terrorism issues. And while Trump promised to deport all people in the country illegal throughout the campaign, Sean Spicer, his press secretary, said Monday that repealing President Barack Obama’s two immigration executive actions were not the President’s prime focus.
“First and foremost, the President’s been very, very clear that we need to direct agencies to focus on those who are in this country illegally and have a record — a criminal record or poses a threat to the American people,” Spicer said. “That’s where the priorities going to be.”
Since his inauguration on Friday, Trump has used executive actions as his main tool to outline his priorities, like rolling back the Affordable Care and withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
To date, Trump has signed 10 executive actions.
