Tracking every rollback, reversal, and overreach — and the path back to the America we know.
On May 29, 2020, President Trump signed Proclamation 10052 suspending the entry of certain Chinese nationals as nonimmigrants under F-1 and J-1 visa categories. The proclamation prohibited entry of Chinese graduate students and researchers with ties to China's military or certain government institutions. The suspension affected Chinese citizens who had participated in or been funded by China's civil-military fusion programs.
President Trump signed Executive Order 13925 on May 28, 2020, directing federal agencies to review the scope of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and to enforce existing laws against what the order characterized as selective online censorship. The order instructed the Department of Justice, Federal Communications Commission, and Federal Trade Commission to examine whether social media platforms' content moderation practices violate consumer protection laws or constitute unfair competition. Confirmed effects include ongoing FCC and FTC reviews of platform practices, though no binding regulations directly restricting platform operations were implemented through this order alone.
On May 25, 2020, President Trump signed an amendment to his May 24, 2020 proclamation that suspended entry of certain immigrants and nonimmigrants deemed to pose a risk of transmitting COVID-19. The amendment expanded restrictions on entry to the United States based on coronavirus transmission risk assessments. The proclamation affected visa processing and entry eligibility for categories of foreign nationals during the 2020 pandemic.
On May 24, 2020, President Trump signed Proclamation 10616 suspending entry to the United States for certain immigrants and nonimmigrants determined to pose a risk of transmitting COVID-19. The proclamation directed the Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security to identify and restrict entry of specific foreign nationals based on coronavirus transmission risk assessments. The order affected foreign nationals seeking to enter the U.S. in immigrant and nonimmigrant categories deemed to present epidemiological risk during the pandemic.
President Trump signed Proclamation 2020-11539 on May 21, 2020, declaring a national day of mourning for Americans who died from COVID-19. The proclamation directed flags to be flown at half-staff and called for a moment of remembrance. The confirmed effect was a symbolic national acknowledgment of coronavirus deaths at that point in the pandemic.
President Trump signed Proclamation 2020-11542 on May 21, 2020, designating May 25, 2020 as a day of prayer for peace in observance of Memorial Day. The proclamation called for Americans to observe a moment of silence at 3 p.m. Eastern Time and encouraged prayer and reflection. This is a ceremonial proclamation with no direct regulatory impact on Americans' rights, benefits, or obligations.
On May 20, 2020, the Trump administration issued a notice continuing the national emergency declaration with respect to the stabilization of Iraq, originally declared in 2003. The continuation extends the emergency authority that allows the President to take actions related to Iraq without standard Congressional approval processes. The direct impact on Americans includes potential deployment of military personnel and allocation of federal resources to Iraq operations under emergency powers.
On May 20, 2020, President Trump signed a memorandum directing continued federal support for governors' deployment of the National Guard to respond to COVID-19 and facilitate economic recovery efforts. The memorandum authorized federal funding to support state National Guard operations related to pandemic response and recovery activities. The direct effect was continuation of federal reimbursement to states for National Guard activation costs during the COVID-19 emergency.
On May 19, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13924 directing federal agencies to identify and suspend enforcement of regulations deemed to burden economic recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. The order required agencies to waive, modify, or delay compliance deadlines for existing regulations through December 31, 2020. Confirmed effects included delayed environmental reviews, extended compliance timelines for business regulations, and reduced enforcement actions across multiple federal agencies during the specified period.
Executive Order 13923 was signed on May 15, 2020, establishing a Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force under Section 741 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act. The task force was directed to coordinate enforcement of forced labor provisions in the USMCA trade agreement across federal agencies. The confirmed direct effect was the creation of an interagency mechanism to investigate and enforce labor standards related to forced labor in trade with Mexico and Canada.