• Trump will take executive actions directing federal funds toward building the border wall
• He's also expected to target so-called sanctuary cities
• Trump is planning major National Security decisions on Wednesday
WASHINGTON, U.S. - A White House official has confirmed the president will take executive actions on Wednesday directing federal funds toward building the proposed border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
He's also expected to target so-called sanctuary cities where local leaders refuse to hand over illegal immigrants for deportation.
The newly inaugurated president is also said to be weighing proposals that would restrict the flow of refugees to the country.
Hinting at the announcement, on Tuesday, Trump tweeted, "Big day planned on NATIONAL SECURITY tomorrow. Among many other things, we will build the wall!"
Trump will make the announcement during a visit to the Department of Homeland Security at 1:25 p.m. ET as part of sweeping and immediate changes to the nation’s immigration system.
To build the wall without needing Congressional approval, Trump could make use of a 2006 law, Secure Fence Act, which authorized several hundred miles of fencing along the 2,000-mile frontier.
That bill led to the construction of about 700 miles of various kinds of fencing along the border with Mexico.
Throughout the campaign in the run-up to the election, Trump reiterated his pledge to bring illegal immigration under control and Wednesday's actions would represent Trump’s first effort to deliver on what he believes is what led him to victory.
The details of how the refugee program will be dealt with are still unclear.
Expectations in his inner circle are that Trump would take action on visas and refugees on Thursday.
According to reports, an order is being prepared with drastic measures to suspend the entire refugee program for four months for Trump’s sign off.
The measure is being proposed in a bid to gauge which nationality of migrants posed the least risk for U.S. National Security.
Further, reports noted that the program that facilitates the admission of Syrian refugees in the country would be ended indefinitely.
According to people close to the matter, the draft specifies that migrants that engage in bigotry, so-called "honor killings" by males of their female relatives, and violence against women shouldn't be admitted.
It would cap the total number of refugees admitted in the 2017 fiscal year at 50,000.
It would also direct the Pentagon and U.S. State Department to plan "safe zones" inside Syria, which the previous administration rejected as unlikely to alleviate civilian suffering.
According to the State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, in the first three days of the Trump administration, the U.S. admitted 136 Syrian refugees.
During his campaign, Trump had adopted a hardline immigration policy, which would include a “complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" until the US government could properly vet people coming in.
In a statement, the National Iranian American Council said, “Donald Trump is making good on the most shameful and discriminatory promises he made on the campaign trail. He called for a Muslim ban and is now taking the first steps to implement one. This will not stand. The American people are better than this.”
Bringing this campaign promise to the fore, on Monday, Spicer said, “First and foremost, the President's been very, very clear that we need to direct agencies to focus on those who are in this country illegally and have a record - a criminal record or poses a threat to the American people. That's where the priorities going to be."
He could also issue orders to as potentially bar for 30 days the issuance of U.S. visas to people from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — all Muslim-majority countries — until new visa procedures are developed.
"My understanding is he'll have some announcements tomorrow on immigration enforcement,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
“I would expect action on enforcement sooner than later.”
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