A presidential term lasts for 1466 days, but no point of any presidency is more important than the first 100 days. Historically, a highly disproportionate amount of a domestic legislation is passed during this period. Essentially, this is the president’s ‘honeymoon period’, when their influence is typically the highest. The concept of the ‘first 100 days’ originated back in the 1930s with President Franklin Roosevelt. President Roosevelt took office during the middle of the Great Depression and immediately passed many key bills that were part of his New Deal agenda. More recently, President Obama used his first 100 days to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, an $800 billion stimulus package along with expansions in child health care coverage and equal pay rights for women. Now, as the new President-Elect Donald Trump is set to take office, we must all pay very close attention to this period of his presidency.
President-Elect Donald Trump’s First 100 Day Priorities
During an October 23rd speech that was delivered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, then-candidate Donald Trump outlined his priorities for his first 100 days in office. National Public Radio (NPR) annotated the speech, highlighting some of Trump’s proposals. Specifically, Trump pledged to attempt to pass the following pieces of legislation in his first 100 days:
- Tax reform, including significant tax cuts for both the middle class and very the wealthy;
- Restrictions on foreign trade by instituting tariffs on certain imports;
- Investment in infrastructure projects, largely through tax credits; and
- The repeal and replacement of Obamacare, likely meaning the loss of health benefits for millions.
Immigration and the First 100 Days
Immigration is also a major political issue that will likely be addressed in the first 100 days. Changes in immigration policy could come in two different forms:
Executive Action
The future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is in very serious jeopardy. Unfortunately, this critically important program could only be passed by President Obama through executive action. This means that soon-to-be President Trump will be able to end the program without any input from Congress. Indeed, over the course of the campaign, he pledged to end this program. While we cannot be sure that he will actually do so, it is likely that he will kill the program, and perhaps immediately. For those undocumented people who have already applied, the Trump-led government now has extensive personal identifying information. Could President-Elect Trump use this information to deport people? Sadly, it is a possibility. This would be incredibly tragic as undocumented immigrants applied to this program in good faith, trusting the word of the United States government. The public needs to step up and cry out that the new President-Elect should not break the word of the United States government. This information should not be used to break up families. If you are in a position to do so, please make your voice heard in support of DACA applicants and other undocumented immigrants.
Legislation
On the legislative side, Trump pledged to pass a bill called the ‘End Illegal Immigration Act’ within his first 100 days. Beyond using an dehumanizing term in the title of the act, the prospective legislation would likely also hurt immigrants. Trump has stated in his public speeches that he wants this bill include to include much harsher punishments for anyone found to be in the United States without proper documentation. Of course, this bill is not yet written and it would need to go through congress. This means that the details could change dramatically. It could also mean that no act will ever be passed at all. There is still time for you to take action by lobbying your political representatives in regards to any prospective immigration-related legislation.
As an Immigrant in L.A., You Can Make a Difference
Remember, you can still make an impact on President-Elect Trump’s first 100 day agenda. Whether you are fighting for the rights of immigrants, economic justice or any other issue, you should take action. President-Elect Trump will need to get much of his agenda and political appointments passed through congress. Now is the time to call your congressperson and make your voice heard. Govtrack.US provides detailed contact information for all of California’s representatives.
Do You Need Immigration Help from a Los Angeles Immigration Lawyer?
We are standing by, ready to help. At the Goldstein Immigration Lawyers, our compassionate immigration attorney in Los Angeless have extensive experience handling a wide range of immigration-related legal issues, even in the entertainment industry.. To learn more about what we can do for you or a family member, please get in touch with our team today to schedule an initial immigration consultation. We proudly protect the rights of immigrants throughout Southern California, including in Santa Monica, Downey, Torrance, Alhambra and Monterey Park, as well as those moving to L.A.
Sharing is caring: