Crackdown on immigration, reciprocal tariffs, and more: Key orders in 100 days of Donald Trump administration

Apart from the reciprocal tariffs, many of Trump’s policies in his second tenure so far have aimed at backsliding on programmes of the US government initiated during his predecessor Joe Biden’s tenure, sparking a significant divide among groups in the country.

Key executive orders passed by Donald Trump in first 100 days

‘Liberation Day’ reciprocal tariffs

US President Donald Trump dubbed April 2, 2025 as ‘Liberation Day’, announcing a series of reciprocal tariffs on nations that charge high taxes on American products. The US administration imposed tariffs on dozens of countries — including India, China and Mexico — sparking a worldwide stock market collapse.

While Trump decided to pause the tariffs for 90 days for countries willing to renegotiate trade deals, China retaliated with a fresh set to tariffs, causing further strain on the markets.

Crackdown on immigration, birthright citizenships

In one of his first executive orders, Donald Trump sought to end the policy of birthright citizenship, which is a right guaranteed under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. In his orders, he also cracked down on illegal immigration to the States, prompting mass deportations and ensuing uncertainty for immigrants awaiting their green card.

Heightened tensions with Ukraine

A meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Ukraine counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned confrontational after a heated exchange between the two in White House’s Oval Office. Trump and Vice President JD Vance demanded gratitude from Zelenskyy for holding the meeting, which was supposed to discuss US support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. The meeting strayed from conventional diplomatic decorum, and led to concerns regarding America’s foreign relations.

Scrapping DEI programmes

A major action by the Trump administration was to abolish Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programmes across federal government departments and military. These programmes were scrapped during the first few days of Trump’s return to presidency. Describing these programmes as divisive, Trump also moved to implement the cutbacks in DEI policies in private firms and institutions, sparking a wave of backlash.

Funding dispute with universities

Harvard University and Columbia University faced major funding cuts across various departments after the Trump administration accused them of not protecting their Jewish students, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. As funding cuts of millions of dollars left universities crippled, educational institutes like Princeton, Brown, Harvard, Columbia, Northwestern University and Pomona College issued a joint statement, accusing the Trump administration of political interference.

Job cuts across federal agencies

In February 2025, tens of thousands of employees across federal agencies were either fired or put on leave following Trump’s orders. It was estimated that around 25,000 employees lost their jobs in the month of February after recommendations by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to eliminate waste and cut down government spending.

Ban on transgender athletes, Medicaid restrictions for minors

In a move having a major impact on the LGBTQ+ community, Donald Trump signed executive orders banning transgender student athletes from participating in women’s sports. Further, guidelines were also issued to states and hospitals to stop the usage of Medicaid for gender-affirming treatment and care for minors, sparking a massive backlash from the transgender community.