Former President Donald Trump raises his first during CPAC earlier this year. Credit: Shutterstock / Jonah Elkowitz

During his inauguration speech, President Donald Trump declared that he would be signing a slew of Executive Orders Monday that could have serious impacts on San Antonio and South Texas, including revoking birthright citizenship, sending troops to the border, and renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

Gulf of America

During Trump’s speech at the Capitol Rotunda, he said that among his first duties as President will be signing an Executive Order officially renaming the Gulf of Mexico – the only body of water bordering Texas – to the Gulf of America.

The renaming of the Gulf is expected to take effect Monday afternoon.

Although official US government agencies will now recognize the Gulf by its new name, it’s unclear whether other countries, including Mexico, will follow suit.

Immigration

In response to the so-called “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump also said he is declaring a national emergency.

“I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country,” Trump said. “Under the orders I sign today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.”

Trump also said he would invoke the Alien and Enemies Act of 1798.

This act allows federal authorities to detain and deport citizens of “enemy” nations residing in the US – both legally and illegally – without a hearing or due process.

Trump also plans to reinstate the remain-in-Mexico policy, which forces migrants to remain on the other side of the Rio Grande while their asylum request is processed.

Although not explicitly mentioned during his lengthy speech, Trump is expected to sign an Executive Order Monday reversing the 14th Amendment, which guarantees birthright citizenship, reports NPR.

Trump plans to reverse the 14th Amendment in an attempt to revoke the citizenship of children born on U.S. soil to migrant parents. Although Trump is expected to sign an executive order doing just that, most political analysts expect the order to be immediately challenged in the courts.

What’s more, per the U.S. Constitution, it takes a 2/3rds majority of both houses of Congress to pass an amendment. The amendment would then have to be ratified by three-fourth’s of all state legislatures.

Oil and Gas

Oil and gas companies operating in the Eagle Ford Shale got a green light from Trump to “Drill Baby Drill” regarding fracking.

During his speech, Trump declared a “national energy emergency” and plans to increase American oil and gas production by ending the Biden Administration’s ban on offshore oil and gas drilling while also ending federal electric vehicle subsidies.

“We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it,” Trump said.

Trump is expected to sign these Executive Orders on stage at a desk at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., in front of a crowd of MAGA supporters, according to News Nation.

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This article appears in Jan 8-21, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...