Trump and Latin America: Inauguration Day and Executive Orders

Migration and the border. Following through on a promise stated in his inaugural address, Trump declared a national emergency on the U.S. Southern border with Mexico, invoking the National Emergencies Act. In his first term in 2019, Trump declared a similar national emergency. In a different order, Trump categorized migration as “an invasion” under the Constitution. 

Through an executive order, Trump authorized the Department of Defense to aid the Department of Homeland Security on activities related to the border, including the construction of infrastructure, the use of drones, the sharing of equipment and detention space, and the support of personnel in the Ready Reserve or the National Guard. This executive order also allows Trump to use federal funding to continue the construction of a border wall without congressional approval. 

In a separate executive order, Trump resumed the program known as the Migrant Protection Protocols, commonly known as “Remain in Mexico.” First implemented by Trump in 2018, the program was used to send as many as 70,000 asylum-seekers back to Mexico to wait there for their U.S. immigration hearings. President Joe Biden oversaw the repeal of the policy in June of 2022 after a judicial back-and-forth. Trump also ended CBP One, an online application that, among other functions, allowed asylum-seekers in Mexico to book appointments with U.S. immigration officials.

Another executive order suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program starting January 27.  In 2024, the United States welcomed and settled over 100,000 refugees, the highest number since the mid-1990s. A quarter of those refugees were from Latin America. 

He also ended the humanitarian parole programs for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Under Biden, more than half a million migrants entered the United States through the program. 

Trump also passed an executive order reinterpreting the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to end birthright citizenship for those born in the United States to parents without lawful or permanent residency. The order calls for this measure to go into effect in 30 days. However, by January 21, 22 states attorneys general had sued the president in federal courts over this measure, calling it unconstitutional. 

Cartels. Trump signed an executive order considering to designate drug cartels and Latin American criminal groups as terrorist organizations, acting on a campaign promise. The order names “certain international cartels,” as well as the Tren de Aragua (TdA) and La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), as groups under consideration. Per the order, the secretary of state has two weeks to make a recommendation on whether to advance this designation and which groups should be covered. Trump considered making the move in his first presidency, but dropped the idea in 2019.

Currently, 68 groups are listed as terrorist groups officially in the United States, four of which are based in Latin America.

If the designation goes through, it will advance the government’s ability to prosecute individuals who aid the designated group, as well as expand authority for the U.S. government to collect intelligence on these groups. This designation could also be the basis for the United States to justify drone attacks or a military campaign in Mexico. Several of Trump’s cabinet nominees, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, have discussed the potential for a U.S. military action in Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected such a move and asked for calm as the country takes the measures “step by step,” but stated that “They are free to take action in their territory. What we will defend is our sovereignty and our independence.” 

Trade. In an executive order entitled “America First Trade Policy,” Trump laid out his principles on trade policy. That included directing the U.S. Trade Representative to begin a public consultation on the 2026 review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), as well as moving for his officials to look into all existing U.S. trade agreements.

Trump stopped short of implementing his threat of 25 percent sanctions on Canada and Mexico. Instead, he said those policies will go into place on February 1. He did direct his Cabinet secretaries to create a “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs.

On Tuesday, January 21, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump plans to push for an early renegotiation of USMCA, before the planned 2026 period. 

Foreign Aid. Another executive order called for a 90-day pause and review of foreign aid programs. In 2024, the Biden administration allocated $2.5 billion in foreign aid to Latin America and the Caribbean. Much of that funding went to programs to address irregular migration, such as the Root Causes and Americas Partnership initiatives. This also included funding for programs related to anti-narcotics efforts in Colombia and Mexico, aiding Venezuelan migrants, and providing support to Haiti.

International agreements. Trump signed an order removing the United States from the World Health Organization. A total of 34 countries in the Americas belong to the organization. He pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement, a move he also made in 2017. All countries in Latin America are signatories on the agreement. Trump also exited an OECD corporate tax deal, though Congress had never actualized the pledges in that agreement. 

Changing the map. Trump called for the secretary of the interior to rename the Gulf of Mexico, the “Gulf of America.” When Trump made this threat weeks ago, Sheinbaum joked about calling North America “America Mexicana.” Responding to the executive order, she said, “He can call it whatever he wants on the American part of it.”