On Jan. 20, the White House became home to the 47th president of the United States: Republican Donald Trump. President Trump was sworn in after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris by 86 electoral votes. In the wake of Trump’s inauguration, should Americans expect an overhaul of the government or four years of empty promises?
During his campaign, Trump, alongside Vice-President-elect J.D. Vance, guaranteed a myriad of changes to the U.S. government, one of the most prominent being changes to current immigration policies. Trump plans to crack down on illegal immigration by completing the border wall between Mexico and the U.S., which he did not finish during his first term in 2016.
Moreover, President Trump has promised “the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America” on his first day in office, as well as re-implementing the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which was overturned in 2021 by former President Joe Biden.
This policy requires that Mexican asylum seekers must remain in Mexico until their court date. The policy has been deemed controversial because it often takes years for immigrants to be heard in court, which has led to a spike in illegal immigration.
News of Trump’s deportations has since caused alarm for thousands of immigrants. PPCHS sophomore Tsarina Brunson’s mother, psychologist Kirenia Brunson, said, “As a mental health provider, I have been receiving an influx of minority patients that are experiencing a significant increase in anxiety and stress related to fears and uncertainty of their future in the U.S.”
The deportations, while targeted at illegal immigrants, can also affect legal immigrants, especially if the deportations are seen as a jumping-off point that can lead to more discrimination of minority groups overall.
Additionally, Trump and his cabinet, which includes his newly established Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E, spearheaded by Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk), plan to change numerous parts of the government. They aim to dismantle the Department of Education, which maximizes student achievement and ensures equal access to education nationwide. Trump suggested that he and his team would give the states control over education.
According to his campaign platform, Trump has also promised to “cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.” To put this into perspective, Critical Race Theory is a course only available to university students, but Trump has only been targeting K-12 schools.
President Trump also has plans to end DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs and Affirmative Action, which helps marginalized communities gain opportunities as non-marginalized groups. This, along with DEI programs, helps minorities access proper education.
“From what I understand, it’s unlikely that Trump will have the Congressional support he’d need in order to dissolve the Board of Education,” English teacher Mrs. Sarah Phelps said. “Regardless, I think we should be very concerned about the more likely loss of federal programs that provide important funding and support for students.”
This is similar to his plan regarding abortion access, as Trump claims he will uphold the U.S.’s current abortion laws, in which regulations are left to the states. The overturning of Roe v. Wade, which occurred in June 2022 under Joe Biden’s presidency, has been largely pinned on Trump as the Supreme Court was Republican majority at the time, with three judges, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh being Trump appointees.
President Trump also has numerous plans for his time in office regarding international affairs. He has repeatedly detailed his plans to purchase Greenland, using military and economic force if necessary. Trump also wants to annex Canada and reclaim the Panama Canal, which was given to Panama in 1999. The President has not ruled out using economic force, likely in the form of tariffs, if the countries are not cooperative.
“At first, I thought the idea of buying Canada was wild, but when Trump suggested [Wayne] Gretzky for governor of Canada, I was all in,” English teacher Mrs. Koch jokes. Gretzky, a former Edmonton Oilers hockey player, was mentioned by Trump in December 2024, who thought that Gretzky “would win easily” and “wouldn’t even have to campaign.”
Tariffs, which are taxes put on imported goods from another country, have been another large topic of President Trump’s campaign. He claims he will impose tariffs on the U.S.’s highest contributors, such as Mexico, Canada, and China, which each supplied $454.8 billion, $436.6 billion, and $536.3 billion respectively in 2022.
Trump plans on a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada and threatens “an additional 10% tariff, above any additional tariffs” on China’s goods. These tariffs may violate the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which allows for easier and more “beneficial trade” between the involved countries as well as supporting millions of employees across the U.S, Mexico, and Canada.
It is important to note that only so many things can be accomplished in four years. Trump and his team’s many goals depend on the cooperativeness of other nations, with collaboration between the U.S and the world being tested by President Trump’s impending changes to the government and policies. On his inauguration day, Trump began his second presidential term as the first convicted felon to sit in office, bringing with him promises of significant change.
