Axios: Trump’s First Executive Orders

Axios reports hearing from two people present at a meeting where Senate Republicans were given a preview of the incoming administration’s first planned executive orders. Among them:

• Reinstating Title 42.
• Increasing 287(g) agreements
• Building the wall 
• Restricting asylum

I was a bit surprised by the first idea. What, I wondered, would be the public health crisis justifying such intervention?

Then I found this NY Times reporting: Inside Trump’s Search for a Health Threat to Justify His Immigration Crackdown. It turns out that the Trump’s advisors have “spent recent months trying to find the right disease to build their case” for bringing back Title 42 restrictions. Apparently they’ve considered tuberculosis and other respiratory illnesses. They’ve even asked Border Patrol to tell them what illnesses are prevalent among arriving noncitizens. 

It appears that a public health crisis is coming. We just don’t yet know which one they’ll choose.

-KitJ