On his first day in office US President Donald Trump has signed a raft of executive orders that are indicative of his administration’s approach to migration and refugees and will make it harder for refugees, asylum seekers and others to try to enter the US.

They also make the position of some immigrants already in the US much more precarious.

Immigration took centre stage during the 2024 election cycle, with 75 per cent of Republicans describing it as a top priority for the president to address this year.

Trump has promised the largest mass deportation of irregular migrants in history. The logistical, staffing, and resource challenges are immense, and to achieve this the administration would need to enlist the assistance of the National Guard, local law enforcement and perhaps the military.

One group at particular risk is the four to five million who have come to the US in the last few years with a temporary parole or a notice to appear in immigration court. Many are pursuing legitimate asylum claims.

With this in mind, Trump has declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border.

The new administration is likely to try to restrict border flows of asylum-seekers. Although the US is bound by international treaties to consider asylum claims, this obligation was partially circumvented from 2020 to 2023 using the Title 42 public health authority, which allowed for the expulsion of large numbers of people.

Humanitarian programs giving refuge to people fleeing conflict or persecution are likely to be wound back or shut, as occurred during Trump’s first presidency.

One incoming official has said that Trump administration plans to suspend all refugee resettlements for at least four months.

The official also said the administration planned to end the constitutional arrangement that gives automatic citizenship to anyone born in the US.

The new administration is also going to “enhance vetting and screening of illegal aliens” and direct agencies to provide recommendations to the president for suspending entry for migrants from “countries of particular concern”.

Some reports say the Trump administration could block existing legal migration pathways without needing Congressional action. One proposal, included in controversial ‘Project 2025’ document, is the is a cutoff for visa applications that are deemed excessively backlogged.

Student visas from China could be also substantially limited. A reinstatement of the so-called “Muslim ban” on travel from certain countries – implemented in Trump’s first presidency – is also a possibility.

Across the US, refugee communities and resettlement agencies are bracing for the prospect Trump will halt or curtail the US refugee program – a move that would stymie thousands of long-awaited resettlements and family reunions.

Many resettlement agencies, which help refugees find housing, learn English and find jobs, say they expect admissions to be cut sharply, undercutting a program President Joe Biden rebuilt to resettle more than 100,000 refugees in the 2024 financial year, representing a 30-year high.

Refugee advocates say another pullback by the US, the world’s largest resettlement destination, could also fuel rising anti-refugee sentiment in other countries at a time when wars and humanitarian crises have pushed the number of globally displaced people to 123 million.

Pope Francis has said that Trump’s plan to deport illegal migrants from the US would be a “disgrace” if it happened.

Speaking to a European TV program from the Vatican, Pope Francis said that if the plans went ahead, Trump would make “poor wretches who don’t have anything”.

“That’s not right. That’s not how you solve problems,” he said.

In a message to Trump shared publicly, Pope Francis offered him “cordial greetings” and urged him to lead a society with “no room for hatred, discrimination or exclusion” and promote “peace and reconciliation among peoples”.

The NGO Refugees International said in a statement that Trump’s executive orders were an attempt to reverse America’s proud legacy and tradition of providing refuge to people forced to flee their homes.

“The orders seek to remake US refugee and immigration policy by closing off virtually all pathways for people to seek refuge in the United States, while threatening the safety and stability of newcomers and long-established immigrant families alike,” the agency said in a statement.

“Recent history shows that closing down pathways for migration makes the United States border less orderly and secure. These policies also violate US laws granting people fleeing persecution the right to access asylum. And they will harm the US economy, turning away people who could fill critical labour gaps,” the statement said.

Refugees International said that recent polling had found that a large majority of Americans believe that the US should offer refuge and legal protection to people seeking safety, while also ensuring an asylum system t0068at is secure, fair, and transparent.