United States President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders on Monday aimed at reshaping military policies, including the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion programmes (DEI), reinstating service members discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines, and barring transgender people from military service.
Earlier in the day, newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who secured the position after a narrow Senate vote, said he would ensure the orders “are complied with rapidly and quickly”.
Here is the latest news from Monday and a look ahead for the week.
Military changes
Speaking with reporters on board Air Force One on Monday, Trump said that he signed four executive orders.
Among those, Trump revealed he signed an order to establish a framework for developing what his administration calls an “American Iron Dome,” a missile defence system designed to protect the homeland.
“We have to have a strong, strong defence,” Trump said. “And in a little while, I’ll be signing four new executive orders.”
He explained that the first was to “immediately begin the construction of a state-of-the-art Iron Dome missile defence shield, which will be able to protect Americans”.
Immigration crackdown
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Monday that it made 1,179 arrests and issued 853 detainers – a tool used by the ICE officers to take custody of criminal noncitizens inside jails – as part of a nationwide enforcement effort. This is the biggest number since Trump took office a week ago.
The agency reported that the recent crackdown has led to at least 3,552 arrests since Thursday. Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the average daily arrests of noncitizens with criminal convictions or pending charges was 467 and 310 in 2023 and 2024 respectively, according to a CBS News report.
Separately, Colombia has stepped back from the edge of a potential trade war with the US after Trump threatened tariffs in response to Bogota’s refusal to accept deported flights. Colombia is now sending its own planes to the US to retrieve its citizens.
In his first full day at the Pentagon, Hegseth said more military personnel would most likely be soon dispatched to the southern border, joining about 4,000 already there.
“The undocumented immigrants we’ve talked to said they are living in fear,” Al Jazeera’s John Hendren said, reporting from Chicago.
“Many of them are staying home, not going to school, not going to work. In the area of Little Village, a Hispanic neighbourhood in Chicago, many shops are empty. And that suggests what the Trump administration is trying to do with this shock campaign may be working,” he added.
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) January 28, 2025
DeepSeek AI
Trump said that the artificial intelligence technology developed by Chinese startup DeepSeek should motivate American companies. He also acknowledged that it was positive for China to have developed a cheaper and faster method of AI.
“I’ve been reading about China and some of the companies in China, one in particular coming up with a faster method of AI and much less expensive method, and that’s good because you don’t have to spend as much money. I view that as a positive, as an asset,” Trump said.
deepseek’s r1 is an impressive model, particularly around what they’re able to deliver for the price.
we will obviously deliver much better models and also it’s legit invigorating to have a new competitor! we will pull up some releases.
— Sam Altman (@sama) January 28, 2025
Things you might have missed:
Department of Justice shakeup: The US Justice Department has fired more than a dozen officials linked to legal cases against Trump, citing a lack of trust. The abrupt terminations targeting the prosecutors on former special counsel Jack Smith’s team are the latest sign of upheaval inside the department. Rank and file prosecutors in the US normally remain across presidential administrations. Smith left the Justice Department before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
New treasury secretary confirmed: Billionaire investor Scott Bessent has been confirmed as treasury secretary. Bessent was a past supporter of Democrats and once worked for George Soros.
Greenland: The Danish government has earmarked $2bn to bolster Arctic security near the US and Russia. It comes after Trump suggested buying Greenland for international security purposes.
Google: Google said its maps will use the names favoured by Trump for Denali and the Gulf of Mexico – Mount McKinley and Gulf of America – when federal maps make the switch.
Trump recounts his first days back for House Republicans: Trump began his Monday speech to House Republicans, who gathered in Miami for their annual policy retreat, by reviewing his first week back in the White House.
He highlighted his executive orders and policy directives, including the start of deportations of unauthorised immigrants, a federal hiring freeze, withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, and opposition to government support for electric vehicles, among other initiatives.
What’s next from Trump and his administration ?
The Congress is still working to confirm Trump’s cabinet.
RFK Jr faces confirmation hurdles: Opposition is mounting ahead of Robert F Kennedy Jr’s confirmation hearing for secretary of health and human services slated for Wednesday. Critics are spotlighting his anti-vaccine advocacy, while former Vice President Mike Pence is actively lobbying against him due to his past pro-abortion rights stance.
Separately in foreign policy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might be the first foreign leader to meet with Trump at the White House since his inauguration.
Netanyahu hopes to visit Washington as early as next week, according to two US officials familiar with preliminary planning for the trip. Trump also told reporters on Monday that he would host Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India at the White House within the next month.
Trump is expected to sign the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday
Trump is set to sign the first bill of his second term, the Laken Riley Act, on Wednesday afternoon at the White House, according to two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to Reuters.
If signed into law, the Act, named after a young American woman murdered by a Venezuelan man who had entered the US illegally, would require the detention of unauthorised immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes. The bill won bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.