A Dark Chapter


After Donald Trump’s inauguration for a second term as US President he signed and rescinded several executive orders that will impact the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and other marginalized communities.

Calling it a ‘dark chapter’ the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) reaffirms its commitment to resist policies “that undermine gender justice, reproductive justice, economic security, and the well-being of AAPI women, gender expansive individuals, and all marginalized communities.”

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NAPAWF Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow expressed concern about the inhumane impact of the new administration’s proposed agenda, including “cruel executive actions that attack access to public healthcare, reproductive care, gender equality, food assistance, and housing support for immigrants, revoke birthright citizenship, and institute drastic and inhumane immigration enforcement and detention actions.

Trump rescinds Biden-era policies

The new Trump White House rescinded dozens of Biden-era Executive Orders including those that strengthened access to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act; developed racial equity plans; prevented and combated discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation; the orders establishing the White House Gender Policy Council and White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders; and also revoking access to over the counter contraceptives. Reproductiverights.gov was also taken down overnight. 

The Trump Administration also released the following priorities, alongside additional published executive orders: 

  • Creating an unconstitutional new birthright citizenship policy by directing all federal agencies from providing children citizenship documentation if the mother was either undocumented or was a temporary worker and the father was not a U.S. citizen or green card holder at the time of the child’s birth;
  • Suspending federal refugee resettlement programs; 
  • Directing federal agencies to create a new set of vetting standards for visa applicants, develop a list of countries for deeper scrutiny of visa applicants and entrants, and other measures similar to those justifying a previous Trump-era “Muslim ban” that was shut down in the courts; 
  • Declaring a border emergency, and thus expediting removal and eliminating most key humanitarian categories of immigration; 
  • Rescinding all Biden-era immigration directives on family immigration and asylum, and instead sweeping directives to  federal agencies  that include investigating or denying public benefits to all undocumented individuals; reinstating the use of federal state programs such as 287(g); allowing only employment authorization and parole for narrow cases; and revoking funding from sanctuary cities, etc.; 
  • Redefining gender to only mean “male and female” for a swath of federal policies, government programs, and government identification; disallowing the use of federal support of healthcare for those transitioning genders; eliminating federal policy documents naming transgender and “LGBTQ”, instituting erasure of this community; and
  • Eliminating all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in the federal government.

Reviving the Enemy Aliens Act

In his inauguration speech, Trump promised to revive the use of the Enemy Aliens Act for purposes of border and internal enforcement, giving himself unchecked power to detain and arrest all “enemies” of the U.S. federal government, a policy used to justify the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. 

“The new Trump Administration has decided to upend our systems in favor of policies that promote hate and division, policies that eliminate due process, civil rights, and civil liberties, and uphold narrow and cruel views of American culture,” she added

Combating unjust policies

NAPAWF will work with AAPI communities to counter the administration’s unjust policies and actions.

“We deserve policies that affirm our humanity and dignity, regardless of race, income, immigration status or gender. We deserve access to healthcare, including reproductive care, that empowers us to make decisions about our bodies and families,” added Choimorrow. “We will fight tirelessly for an America where justice, equity, and opportunity are not empty promises, but lived realities. AAPIs have long been integral to the fabric of this nation, contributing to its economy and history. We refuse to be sidelined or silenced. Together with countless other communities, we will demand a future where our institutions and systems serve the people—not the other way around.”

“We must protect the most vulnerable among us,” urged Choimorrow.

NAPAWF list of community resources, explanation of rights, and additional information are available at NAPAWF’s community resources page.