Immigration has always been a voting issue at the forefront of U.S. politics. What new immigration policies are coming to light under President Trump’s second term?
In the past five months, mass restrictions on immigration have been enacted, such as heightened vetting and stricter rules for visa types. Recently, the longstanding protections barring immigration enforcement in institutions such as healthcare facilities, schools, and places of worship have been revoked, allowing entities like ICE to detain and arrest in these locations.
The 2019 Travel Ban has returned in 2025, this time prohibiting entry for nineteen countries. Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen are the twelve countries under a full travel ban, and Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela are under a partial ban. This restriction means individuals from these countries cannot seek immigrant or non-immigrant visas, with the exception of individuals from countries under the partial ban, which sets limits on the number of people allowed to receive those visas.
An executive order in January attempted to end birthright citizenship and redefine the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause for certain noncitizens. This executive order has been blocked by multiple courts, including federal and district courts.
More funds have been allocated to immigration enforcement for border operations, deportations, detentions, and more. Around $170 billion has been added to this budget. Furthermore, nearly half of the FBI agents have been reassigned to immigration enforcement to bolster efforts.
In light of the increasing ICE arrests, the administration is reportedly pushing for 600,000 deportations in 2025.
The Alien Enemies Act was invoked to deport dozens to El Salvador, claiming affiliation with gangs. The majority of these individuals were deported without criminal trials, resulting in courts responding by issuing restraining orders and injunctions to prevent further deportations under this act.
Consequently, the arrival of international students has dropped 19%, and refugee admissions have been delayed, threatening over 100,000 waiting in limbo for their final status approval. Additionally, fear of ICE limits public healthcare access and education for children.
With about 18.1 percent of the Massachusetts population (2025), 28.7% of Acton’s population (2023), and 25.4% of Boxborough’s population (2023) being foreign-born, immigration policies affect large portions of our local community. Whether some of these policies will hold depends on the courts and Congress. Expanded deportations, visa restrictions, and funding conditions align with the anti-immigration agenda the Trump Administration has set since January.