On Day 1, Biden to undo Trump's Muslim travel ban, Mexico border wall

President Joe Biden plans to begin immediately unwinding former President Trump’s policies on immigration, climate, and other issues with at least 15 executive actions, including moves to reverse US withdrawals from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization (WHO), and stop construction of a border wall. The Day One agenda includes:

 

Re-engaging with the WHO

 

Biden plans to immediately rejoin the WHO, which Trump exited in May, saying China exerted too much pressure on the agency.

 

Mask mandate on US properties

 

The new president’s mask mandate will require face coverings and physical distancing for everyone in federal buildings and on federal lands.

 

Easing burden of student loans

 

Another action will pause the accrual of interest and principal payments on federal student loans until September 30.

 

Rejoining the climate agreement

 

Biden will make several initial moves to restore efforts by the Obama administration to combat climate change, including re-joining the Paris accord.

 

No more money for wall

 

Biden is expected to repeal the national emergency on the US-Mexico border, halting funding for Trump’s signature border wall that symbolised his crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

 

Scrapping the Muslim travel ban

 

The administration is also scrapping Trump’s travel ban on several West Asian, Central Asian, and African countries, most of them with majority Muslim populations, that the outgoing president had deemed terrorist threats.

 

Bolstering the DACA programme

 

Biden will seek to strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme that provides deportation protections to immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

 

New protections against discrimination

 

Biden will sign an executive order prohibiting workplace discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.