Trump Administration Executive Actions
Directing The Repeal of Unlawful Regulations
On April 9, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the repeal of federal regulations deemed unlawful under recent Supreme Court decisions, including Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023). That landmark case ended race-conscious admissions in higher education, and the administration now directs agencies to eliminate any regulations conflicting with its ruling. This directive may impact federal guidance related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in colleges and universities, reinforcing a legal shift away from affirmative action in graduate and higher education settings. Several sections within the executive order are noted below:
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Section 1: Following the 60-day review period ordered in Executive Order 14219 to identify unlawful and potentially unlawful regulations, agencies shall immediately take steps to effectuate the repeal of any regulation, or the portion of any regulation, that clearly exceeds the agency’s statutory authority or is otherwise unlawful. Agencies should give priority to the regulations in conflict with the United States Supreme Court decisions listed earlier in this memorandum. The repeal of each unlawful regulation shall be accompanied by a brief statement of the reasons that the “good cause” exception applies.
Section 2: Within 30 days of the conclusion of the review period directed in Executive Order 14219 to identify unlawful and potentially unlawful regulations, agencies shall submit to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs a one-page summary of each regulation that was initially identified as falling within one of the categories specified in section 2(a) of that Executive Order, but which has not been targeted for repeal, explaining the basis for the decision not to repeal that regulation.
Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities
On March 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order directing the closure of the Department of Education to shift educational authority back to states and local communities. The Secretary of Education is instructed to oversee the department’s closure while ensuring uninterrupted delivery of essential services and adherence to federal laws. Several sections within the executive order are noted below:
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Section 2: The Secretary of Education shall, to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.
Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness
On March 7, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Education to revise the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to exclude organizations engaged in activities deemed harmful to national security or public order. It specifies that organizations engaged in certain activities could be excluded from the program.
Implementing The President’s “Department Of Government Efficiency” Cost Efficiency Initiative
On February 26, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order to implement the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cost-cutting initiative, led by Elon Musk. This order mandates federal agencies to establish centralized systems for recording and justifying all payments related to contracts and grants, aiming to enhance transparency and accountability in government spending. Agencies are required to review existing contracts and grants, terminating or renegotiating those deemed unnecessary or wasteful, with a focus on funds allocated to educational institutions and foreign entities. Several sections within the executive order are noted below:
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Section 1: This order commences a transformation in Federal spending on contracts, grants, and loans to ensure Government spending is transparent and Government employees are accountable to the American public.
Section 3: Cutting Costs to Save Taxpayers Money. each Agency Head shall, with assistance as requested from the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, build a centralized technological system within the agency to seamlessly record every payment issued by the agency pursuant to each of the agency’s covered contracts and grants, along with a brief, written justification for each payment submitted by the agency employee who approved the payment. This system shall include a mechanism for the Agency Head to pause and rapidly review any payment for which the approving employee has not submitted a brief, written justification within the technological system.
Section 3 (b): Review of Covered Contracts and Grants. Each Agency Head, in consultation with the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, shall review all existing covered contracts and grants and, where appropriate and consistent with applicable law, terminate or modify (including through renegotiation) such covered contracts and grants to reduce overall Federal spending or reallocate spending to promote efficiency and advance the policies of my Administration. This process shall commence immediately and shall prioritize the review of funds disbursed under covered contracts and grants to educational institutions and foreign entities for waste, fraud, and abuse. Each Agency Head shall complete this review within 30 days of the date of this order.
Section 3 (c): Contract and Grant Process Review. Each Agency Head, in consultation with the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, shall conduct a comprehensive review of each agency’s contracting policies, procedures, and personnel. Each Agency Head shall complete this process within 30 days of the date of this order and shall not issue or approve new contracting officer warrants during the review period, unless the Agency Head determines such approval is necessary.
Section 3(d)(i): Following the review specified in subsection (c) of this section, and prior to entering into new contracts, each Agency Head shall, in consultation with the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, issue guidance on signing new contracts or modifying existing contracts to promote Government efficiency and the policies of my Administration.
Section 3(e): Each Agency Head shall, with assistance from the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, build a technological system within each agency that centrally records approval for federally funded travel for conferences and other non-essential purposes. Once an agency’s system is in place, the Agency Head shall prohibit agency employees from engaging in federally funded travel for conferences or other non-essential purposes unless the travel-approving official has submitted a brief, written justification for the federally funded travel within such system.
Radical Transparency About Wasteful Spending
On February 18, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order mandating that all executive departments and agencies publicly disclose details of terminated programs, canceled contracts, discontinued grants, and any other obligations of federal funds that have been discontinued.
Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies
On February 18, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order increasing presidential oversight of all executive agencies, including independent regulatory agencies. It mandates that significant regulatory actions be reviewed by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) before publication and requires agency heads to align with White House policy priorities. The order directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to set performance standards for agencies, review their financial obligations, and restrict spending inconsistent with presidential priorities. Several sections within the executive order are noted below:
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Section 1: All executive departments and agencies, including so-called independent agencies, shall submit for review all proposed and final significant regulatory actions to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Executive Office of the President before publication in the Federal Register.
Section 4: The Director of OMB shall establish performance standards and management objectives for independent agency heads, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, and report periodically to the President on their performance and efficiency in attaining such standards and objectives.
Section 5 (a): Review independent regulatory agencies’ obligations for consistency with the President’s policies and priorities; and
Section 5 (b): Adjust such agencies’ apportionments by activity, function, project, or object, as necessary and appropriate, to advance the President’s policies and priorities. Such adjustments to apportionments may prohibit independent regulatory agencies from expending appropriations on particular activities, functions, projects, or objects, so long as such restrictions are consistent with law.
Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism
On January 29, 2025, the Administration issued an executive order reaffirming a previous order from President Trump’s first term that aims to protect Jewish Americans from anti-Semitic harassment, especially in schools and on college campuses.
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- Section 3 (a): Within 60 days of this order, executive agencies must report on civil and criminal authorities available to combat anti-Semitism and provide an inventory of pending complaints related to campus anti-Semitism.
- Section 3 (b): A report shall be submitted by the Attorney General that includes an inventory and analysis of all court cases involving institutions of higher education and allegations of civil rights violations stemming from campus anti-Semitism, related to the events of October 7, 2023.
- Section 3(d): A report shall be submitted by the Secretary of Education that includes an inventory and analysis of all Title VI complaints and administrative actions related to anti-Semitism, pending or resolved after October 7, 2023.
- Section 3(e): The Secretaries of Education, State, and Homeland Security, are directed to collaborate on providing recommendations to institutions of higher education regarding the grounds for inadmissibility under 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3), ensuring that institutions monitor foreign students and staff for anti-Semitic activities and report them for further action if needed.
Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity
On January 21, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that directed federal agencies to terminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, policies, and mandates deemed to violate federal civil rights laws. It revokes prior executive orders and regulations supporting DEI, emphasizes merit-based policies, and prohibits discriminatory practices based on race, sex, or other protected characteristics. Several sections within the executive order are noted below:
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- Section 3 (c): The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), with assistance from the Attorney General, must: review and revise government-wide processes, directives, and guidance to remove references to DEI and DEIA principles from federal acquisition, contracting, grants, and financial assistance procedures. It also requires the termination of mandates or programs related to DEI within the federal government.
- Section 4 (b)(iii): Directs agencies to identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations into institutions of higher education with endowments over $1 billion.
- Section 5: The Attorney General and Secretary of Education must issue guidance within 120 days to all state and local educational agencies receiving federal funds, as well as institutions of higher education that receive federal grants or participate in the Federal student loan program under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, regarding the measures and practices required to comply with, the Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College ruling.
Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing
On January 20, 2025, the administration issued and President Trump signed an executive order that “terminates all discriminatory programs, including DEI and DEIA mandates, policies, preferences, and activities of the federal government.”
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- Section 2 (b): Directs federal agencies to “terminate to the maximum extent allowed by law all DEI, DEIA, and environmental justice offices and positions, all equity action plans, initiatives and programs, and all equity-related grants or contracts, and all DEI or DEIA requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees.”
Protecting the American People Against Invasion
On January 20, 2025, the administration issued an executive order that revoked previous immigration policies deemed lenient and mandated strict enforcement of immigration laws. The executive order calls for the creation of the Homeland Security Task Force, limits public benefits to illegal aliens, and enhances penalties for violations. Several sections within the executive order are noted below:
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- Section 13 (b): Directs the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to “eliminate all documentary barriers, dilatory tactics, or other restrictions that prevent the prompt repatriation of aliens to any foreign state.”
- Section 14: Directs the Secretary of Treasury in coordination with the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to establish a system to facilitate the administration of all bonds, including visa bonds.
- Section 17: Directs the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to evaluate federal funding available to “sanctuary” jurisdictions and take “lawful” action against their practices. This section is paired with rescission of guidance by the Department of Homeland Security on “sensitive” areas, including schools, churches, and colleges.
- Section 19: The Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security must review and audit federal funding agreements with non-governmental organizations supporting removable or illegal aliens to ensure legal compliance and prevent waste, fraud, or abuse.
Protecting the U.S. from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats
On January 20, 2025, the administration issued an executive order that addresses the visa issuance process.
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- Section 2: Directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to establish an enhanced vetting and screening system to ensure that all aliens are properly vetted and screened.
Establishing And Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency”
On January 20, 2025, the administration issued an executive order establishing the Department of Government Efficiency to implement President Trump’s DOGE Agenda by modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity. Per the executive order, the United States Digital Service is renamed the United States DOGE Service (USDS), within the Executive Office of the President.
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- Section 3: Each agency shall form a DOGE Team of at least four employees to support the President’s DOGE agenda, including key roles such as engineers, human resources specialists, and legal advisors
- Section 4: The USDS Administrator will initiate a Software Modernization Initiative to improve the quality of software and IT systems government-wide, ensuring interoperability, data integrity, and responsible data collection.
Protecting The Meaning and Value of American Citizenship
At least seven lawsuits have been filed against this executive order.
On January 20, 2025, an Executive Order redefined U.S. birthright citizenship eligibility under the Fourteenth Amendment. The order affects individuals in the U.S. unlawfully and those lawfully present on temporary visas, such as international students and scholars. The Executive Order seeks to exclude from automatic citizenship those born in the U.S. under two conditions:
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- When the mother was unlawfully present, and the father was neither a U.S. citizen nor a lawful permanent resident at the time of birth.
- When the mother was lawfully but temporarily present (e.g., on a student, work, or tourist visa), and the father was neither a U.S. citizen nor a lawful permanent resident.