Fresh executive order targets sanctuary cities, federal aid for undocumented migrants

President Donald Trump signed an immigration executive order late Wednesday designed to target sanctuary cities and ensure undocumented immigrants aren’t receiving federal benefits.

The order directs federal departments and agencies to identify any federal programs providing financial benefits to undocumented immigrants, while in the same breath acknowledging that under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, undocumented immigrants are already mostly barred from public programs.

But the order argues that the Biden administration “undercut the goal of” temporary parole authority, which allows the government to grant migrants temporary permission to live and work in the U.S., by using it too extensively. Trump has already moved to cancel this status for hundreds of thousands of migrants, and Wednesday’s order notes that under parole, undocumented migrants become “qualified non-citizens,” making them eligible for some income-based benefits after five years.

The executive order is vague, but one of the most significant impacts could come from the president’s call for his administration to impose strengthened requirements for how state and local agencies screen people who receive federal benefits, a directive that could affect people regardless of their immigration status, according to immigration advocacy groups.

Trump’s latest move also targets so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that have some limits on their cooperation with the federal government and immigration enforcement — efforts reminiscent of his first term that were the subject of significant legal battles. The president on Wednesday directed the heads of his agencies to ensure that federal funding is not facilitating illegal immigration or “sanctuary policies that seek to shield illegal aliens from deportation.”

The action marks Trump’s latest attempt to crack down on illegal immigration. The president has signed a slew of immigration actions during his first few weeks in office, several of which have already been stymied in the courts.

The order will take additional steps from the White House to implement, but it underscores Trump’s desire to deliver on his top campaign priority. Within 30 days, Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Vince Haley, the director of the Domestic Policy Council and the administrator of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, are tasked with identifying other sources of federal funding for undocumented immigrants, presenting a plan for strengthening eligibility verification system, and referring any findings of improper use of federal benefits to DHS and the DOJ.

The clampdown from the White House comes as House Republicans later this month are also poised to call a vote on the “No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act” — legislation that would target jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement priorities. Advocacy groups are casting the bill as part of a larger Republican effort to defund critical services for constituents.

Topics

Trump executive order could cut ‘infant assistance’ benefits for undocumented migrants

NBC News Homeland Security Correspondent Julia Ainsley joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss a new executive order from President Trump and the latest legal challenges to his administration's ...
NBC News - 4d
Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump DEI executive orders

A federal judge has temporarily blocked parts of President Trump’s executive orders that sought to end the federal government’s backing of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. U.S. ...
The Hill - 3d
Judge blocks Trump's executive order ending federal support for DEI programs

A federal judge has blocked a sweeping executive order from President Trump that sought to end government support for programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
CBS News - 3d
Comparing Trump's executive orders with Project 2025 promises

According to a CBS News analysis, President Trump has signed 73 executive orders so far, targeting everything from the border to the environment and federal spending. Many online users have pointed ...
CBS News - 4d
FTSE 350 on track to miss 40% target for female executives

Government-backed review says pace of change in top roles has ‘slowed’ among UK’s biggest companies
Financial Times - 15h
Trans athletes on Trump’s executive order: ‘Stripping us of sports is devastating’

The NCAA has ruled only women assigned female at birth can compete in college sports. We spoke to some of those affected by the ban. On 5 February 2025 – coinciding with Women and Girls in Sports ...
The Guardian - 5h
Trump administration resumes legal aid for unaccompanied migrant children

Groups like Acacia and Kids in Need of Defense called the stop-worker "devastating."
ABC News - 3d
Spanish city 'adopts' migrants who intervened in homophobic attack

Yahoo News - 7m
Trump to sign more executive orders today, despite legal pushback on several of his directives

Trump is slated to sign more executive orders this afternoon. Several of his directives have already faced pushback during his first month in office.
NBC News - 4d
Tense moments between Trump, Maine governor on transgender executive order, reporters say

Reporters covering President Trump's working session with U.S. governors are noting his tense exchange involving Maine Gov. Janet Mills regarding the executive order on transgender athletes. CBS ...
CBS News - 3d
NYC Mayor Eric Adams to close Roosevelt Hotel migrant center targeted by Musk, Trump admin

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the city will close the Roosevelt Hotel migrant center in Manhattan, a frequent target of Elon Musk and the Tump administration.
NBC News - 23h
Federal Judge Shields More Transgender Inmates From Trump Order

A group of transgender women in federal prisons who would have been moved into men’s facilities can stay where they are for now.
The New York Times - 17h
Trump administration frees up billions in federal aid for Pennsylvania: Shapiro

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said the Trump administration has agreed to unfreeze more than $2 billion in state funding he claimed was unlawfully withheld, in part citing his recent lawsuit ...
The Hill - 1h
LGBTQ health groups sue Trump over orders targeting diversity, transgender rights

Nine LGBTQ, health and HIV organizations sued the Trump administration Thursday over three executive orders targeting transgender people and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which ...
The Hill - 4d
Trump administration hasn't complied with order to halt foreign aid freeze, judge says

The Trump administration has not fully complied with a court order pausing the freezing of foreign assistance grants and contracts, a federal judge ruled.
NBC News - 4d
‘I’m collaborating’: how New York City’s mayor gave in to Trump’s migrant crackdown

Eric Adams, mayor of the US’s largest city, is caught up in a swirl of indictments, immigrants, Rikers and Donald Trump. This Valentine’s Day, a new political power couple said their vows on the ...
The Guardian - 4d
Trump Plans to Use Military Sites Across the Country to Detain Undocumented Immigrants

The move would be a drastic escalation by the White House to militarize immigration enforcement.
The New York Times - 3d
Agencies grapple with Musk order

Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Agencies grapple with responding to Musk order The Office of Personnel Management ...
The Hill - 16h
Right-Wing Media Praises U.S.-Russia Talks as ‘Breath of Fresh Air’

Many of President Trump’s media allies were quick to celebrate this week’s negotiations, a contrast to the deep unease expressed by the foreign policy establishment.
The New York Times - 5d
Shein profits slump in fresh challenge to long-planned London IPO

Competition from Temu adds to pressure on fast-fashion group’s valuation as it seeks approval for UK listing
Financial Times - 2d
Olympic medalist Frederick Richard is aiming to change men's gymnastics with a fresh uniform

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, gymnast Frederick “Flips” Richard had goals larger than a gold medal in mind, seeking to change men’s gymnastics and show everyone what the sport was really about.
NBC News - 1d
How "Beyond The Gates" is bringing a fresh approach to daytime drama

After a 25-year hiatus in new soap launches, the showrunners of "Beyond The Gates" are promising rich storytelling with diverse cast and crew.
CBS News - 23h
Oil edges lower after finding support on fresh Iran sanctions

Oil futures ticked slightly lower early Tuesday, a day after a fresh round of U.S. sanctions aimed at curtailing Iran’s crude exports provided a modest lift.
MarketWatch - 4h
Treasury yields drop to fresh lows of 2025 as growth concerns build

Yields on 2- and 10-year U.S. government debt were on pace for a fifth straight session of declines Tuesday morning as continued worry about a slowing U.S. economy encouraged a move into the ...
MarketWatch - 59m
The Influence of Foreign Aid

America is losing a diplomatic tool the government has relied on for decades.
The New York Times - 4d
Why CFPB is being targeted by Trump

The fired head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said he sees the attack against the agency as "suspicious."
CBS News - 1d
Mali to investigate claims soldiers 'executed' women and children

Yahoo News - 1d
Seven NZ churches targeted in suspected arson spree

Four churches were burned while evidence suggests three more were targeted but did not catch fire.
BBC News - 3d
Apple’s diversity policies and OpenAI deal targeted by shareholders

iPhone-maker is rare holdout in Silicon Valley against conservative efforts to force rollback on DEI issues
Financial Times - 1d
The border where Starmer is targeting people-smuggling gangs

UK government boosts resources at key entry point on Sofia’s border with Turkey amid wider EU ‘reset’
Financial Times - 1d
Trump admin removes migrants from Guantanamo Bay

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have removed deported migrants from a facility on the U.S. military base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where the Trump administration brought them as ...
The Hill - 4d
Trump Plans to Use Military Bases to Detain Migrants

Also, archaeologists found a pharaoh’s tomb. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
The New York Times - 3d
Here's what happened to the migrant detainees at Guantanamo Bay

Immigration and Customs Enforcement transported 177 migrants from Guantanamo Bay to Honduras for final removal to Venezuela, according to a post on X from the agency.
ABC News - 3d
Trump Administration Moves More Migrants to Guantánamo Bay

The base had been cleared of migrants since Thursday, after the government sent 177 to Venezuela and one back to the United States.
The New York Times - 1d
Senate Democrats challenge transfer of migrants to Guantánamo Bay

A group of five Senate Democrats led by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) sent a letter to President Trump on Monday challenging his transfer of migrants to detention centers at the U.S. Naval station in ...
The Hill - 16h
Ohio Republican pushes for Congress to act on Trump's orders

Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) on Thursday urged Congress to act on President Trump's executive orders, saying the national legislature "must do its job." "It’s up to us on Capitol Hill to make ...
The Hill - 3d
Football hooligan Met detective gets banning order

Arsenal fan Det Con Gordon Irikefe threw a flare into a crowd and chanted about a tragedy.
BBC News - 22h
Meta approves plan for bigger executive bonuses following 5% layoffs

Meta's executive officers could earn a bonus of 200% of their base salary under the company's new executive bonus plan, up from the 75% they earned previously.
CNBC - 4d
Meta approves plan for bigger executive bonuses following 5% layoffs

Executives at Meta stand to get bigger bonuses this year.
NBC News - 4d