The very first week after swearing in as the 47th President of America, Trump signed a long list of executive orders. The termination of birthright citizenship, backing off from the Paris Climate Agreement, and imposing new tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada are some among those. President Trump also issued executive orders aimed at terminating DEI mandates within the federal government. He also added the recognition of only 2 genders and ruled out the existence of a 3rd gender.
The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are not new to the US. It dates back to the US Civil Rights Act of 1964. The DEI initiatives helped to introduce multiple perspectives and intellectual diversity. DEI initiatives counter the effects of historical racism and help to realize positive social changes as well as promote awareness of racial and ethnic inequities. The George Floyd murder on 25 May 2020 was the driving force for firms to invest more in DEI initiatives. There was a visible increase post the incident in DEI attention and investment. DEI actions contribute to the empowerment of marginalized communities while also addressing the long-term repercussions of historical and generational injustice.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, citizenship is conferred to persons born in the United States or to their parents, who are U.S. citizens. Children born outside the United States are eligible for automatic citizenship if at least one parent is a US citizen at the time of birth and has lived in the US for a period of time. Trump’s decision to eliminate birthright citizenship for children whose parents are not themselves US citizens or legal permanent residents poses a great challenge to both illegal and legal migrants with temporary work visas like H1B. This unconstitutional act received blatant criticism from civil society as it bypasses the 14th Constitutional Amendment Act. Although a judge from the Seattle Federal Court temporarily blocked Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship, along with 22 states opposing the order. Apart from directing the government entities, Trump’s been signaling corporate giants like McDonald’s, Meta Group, Walmart, etc., to pull off from the DEI initiatives.
Trump’s decision delineates from his “America First” policy for providing more opportunities for American-born. He blindly blames migrants for fueling violent crime in the country. Trump mentions them as criminal aliens and pledges to deport them. Official stats tell a staggering 11 million illegal migrants came to the U.S. during Biden’s administration. He even shut down the CBP app, the sole platform for requesting asylum in the US. Nevertheless, data shows that the offending nature of illegals is significantly lower than that of U.S. citizens. A study conducted by the Centre for Migration Studies, New York, estimates that 5.5 million undocumented migrants are part of the US workforce. Their share in the US workforce is immense with regards to the construction and agriculture sectors.
Trump’s decision to roll back DEI initiatives and his enforcement of rigid immigration as well as citizenship laws are visibly correlated. If there is no inclusion of Black people, immigrants, disabled people, and gendered exclusion exists in workplaces, schools, and government establishments, subsequently the number of outsiders trying to get inside the American territory would definitely go down. His termination of birthright citizenship would exacerbate this issue. And the end result can be anticipated as reverse migration, which is now the case in Canada. Trump, who proclaims on deporting millions of illegal immigrants, needs to understand the huge loss it produces to many of the businesses in the U.S., which need manpower, and the contributors accounts mostly from the illegal category. Recently, an executive order issued by the Trump administration ended the dangerous and unfair participation of men in women’s sports. The order targeted the transgender community taking part in the women’s category. The crackdown on citizenship acquired through birth is viewed as a death knell to the aspirations of millions of undocumented immigrants awaiting to get accepted into American society.
How does the international community respond to these decisions?
President Trump’s January 2025 executive orders dismantling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have elicited varied international responses. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) expressed neutrality regarding the ban on transgender athletes in female sports, opting to continue discussions with relevant authorities. In contrast, global corporations like Accenture have proactively discontinued their DEI policies, aligning with the new U.S. directives. Meanwhile, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) advised Apple investors to oppose proposals to abolish DEI policies, indicating ongoing support for diversity initiatives within some international business sectors. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion in global cooperation, subtly critiquing the U.S. stance. Conversely, countries like China have used the opportunity to highlight perceived inconsistencies in U.S. human rights advocacy, pointing to the rollback of DEI initiatives.
If the U.S. wants to sustain itself economically, socially, and diplomatically after the crackdown on DEI initiatives, birthright citizenship, and mass deportation of illegal migrants, it will need to adopt strategic policies to manage workforce shortages, maintain social stability, and mitigate international backlash. The introduction of skill-based immigration reform and vocational training programs, providing tax incentives for businesses hiring U.S. citizens to replace migrant labor as well as small business support by funding, helps a lot to sail through the ensuing economic instability.
