In 2025, President Donald Trump’s administration implemented several significant changes to U.S. immigration policy. As of March 2025, over 75 Executive Orders were signed by the U.S. President, many of which impact immigration. The changes have provoked a tsunami effect on the lives of millions of immigrants in the U.S., raising concerns by the public over the long-term viability of their U.S. visas, their business operations (especially those businesses that employ foreign nationals) and are re-framing opportunities of foreigners to come to the U.S. in the future. Supporters of the new Administration view the changes as directly benefitting to U.S. citizens, and long overdue.

Here’s a Wrap-up of those changes to date, as they impact U.S. immigration:

1. Executive Order 14159: “Protecting the American People Against Invasion”: Signed on January 20, 2025, this order expands the use of expedited removal, denies federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions, imposes penalties for undocumented immigrants failing to register, increases hiring for ICE and CBP agents, restricts access to public benefits, expanded 287(g) agreements, and increases federal prosecutions for immigration-related offenses.
2. Laken Riley Act: Enacted on January 29, 2025, this law mandates the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants charged with or convicted of theft-related crimes, assaulting law enforcement officers, or crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury, such as DUI manslaughter. It also allows states to sue the federal government for lapses in immigration enforcement.
3. Mandatory Online Registry for Undocumented Immigrants: Announced on February 25, 2025, this initiative requires undocumented immigrants over the age of 14 to register their personal information, including names, fingerprints, and home addresses. Non-compliance can result in fines up to $5,000 and imprisonment for up to six months.
4. “Gold Card” Visa Program: Proposed in February 2025, this program offers a path to citizenship for immigrants investing $5 million in the U.S. economy. While aiming to attract wealthy immigrants, critics argue it could exacerbate housing affordability issues if investments are directed into residential real estate.
5. Temporary Increase in H-2B Nonimmigrant Visas: Effective January 7, 2025, the administration increased the cap for H-2B visas by an additional 20,716 for returning workers for the first half of FY 2025. This program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for temporary non-agricultural jobs
6. Designation of English as the Official Language: On March 2, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order making English the official language of the United States. This order permits government-funded entities to reduce language accessibility standards, revoking a mandate from the Clinton era that required federal agencies to help in other languages. These measures reflect the Administration’s efforts to tighten immigration controls, enhance enforcement, and prioritize certain immigrant profiles based on economic contributions. The measures are also aimed at securing the country against ill-intended immigrants, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reports the following encounters with individuals listed in the Terrorist Screening Dataset, as of January 2025, there has been a total of 168 terrorism-related encounters at U.S. borders during fiscal year 2025.

Office of Field Operations (OFO) Encounters at Land Border Ports of Entry (All Nationalities):

• Southwest Border: 24 encounters
• Northern Border: 131 encounters
• Total: 155 encounters

U.S. Border Patrol Encounters Between Ports of Entry (Non-U.S. Citizens):

• Southwest Border: 13 encounters
• Northern Border: 0 encounters

It’s important to note that these encounters represent a very small fraction of total border encounters. CBP emphasizes that the screening process to identify such individuals is a critical component of their daily operations to safeguard national security. For context, between fiscal years 2021 and 2024, there were 385 apprehensions of individuals on the terrorist watchlist attempting to cross the Southwest border between ports of entry. These statistics underscore the ongoing efforts of U.S. border agencies to monitor and address potential national security threats.

The Impact of U.S. Measures on Canada-U.S. Relations

Let’s dive in a little deeper on the sweeping changes implemented by the Oval Office, and how they are impacting Canada-U.S. trade relations. So far in 2025, President Donald Trump’s administration implemented several significant steps affecting U.S. – Canada relations:

1. Imposition of Tariffs: On February 4, 2025, President Trump announced a 25% tariff on Canadian exports to the United States, citing concerns over illegal immigration and drug trafficking. This move threatens to impact the deep economic ties between the two nations, with goods worth approximately $3.6 billion crossing the border daily.
2. Canadian Response and Retaliation: In reaction to the U.S. tariffs, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated plans for reciprocal measures. Discussions included imposing dollar-for-dollar tariffs on U.S. goods, signaling strength and resolve. However, such actions risked escalating tensions and potentially harming industries reliant on cross-border trade.
3. Strained Diplomatic Relations: The U.S. administration’s aggressive economic policies are causing a deterioration in the historically close relationship between the two great countries. Experts note that these actions needlessly harm a long-cherished partnership, affecting Canadians’ perceptions of their southern neighbor.
4. Threats to Canadian Sovereignty: President Trump’s comments suggesting that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States caused significant turmoil. Canadian leaders, including Prime Minister Trudeau, firmly opposed such ideas, emphasizing Canada’s sovereignty and independence. Supported by DOGE’s leader and Trump underling Elon Musk, the stance taken by the U.S. has many Canadians wondering if Mr. Musk’s Canadian citizenship should not be stripped from him.

These developments in 2025 mark a challenging period in U.S.-Canada relations, characterized by economic disputes and heightened diplomatic tensions. As a cross-border law firm, we can attest that these changes have certainly escalated tensions between the two countries, to the extent that on one hand, we see many patriotic Canadians calling for a boycott of U.S. goods, while on the other hand, many Canadians agree with the Trump policies and are looking to leave Canada. Winston Churchill once said, “Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted.” Do you think the U.S. Administration is doing the right thing by re-vamping the rules on immigration? Perhaps only time will tell.