Breaking Down the “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions”

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions. This sweeping directive revoked numerous executive orders and memoranda from the Biden administration. Below is a detailed breakdown of its impacts, context, and potential legal challenges.

How This Executive Order Affects Citizens, Groups, and Entities

Federal Workforce

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs: The revocation of orders like Executive Order 13985 (Advancing Racial Equity) and Executive Order 14035 (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce) eliminates DEI initiatives in federal agencies. This reduces resources for underrepresented groups and may lead to layoffs for employees working in DEI-related roles (White House, 2025).

• Pay Transparency: Revoking Executive Order 14069 (Advancing Pay Equity) weakens protections against wage discrimination for federal contractors (Affirmative Action Law Advisor, 2025).¹

Marginalized Communities

• LGBTQ+ Protections: The rescission of Executive Order 13988 (Preventing Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation) removes federal protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals in workplaces and public services (Akin Gump, 2025).
• Racial Equity: Terminating orders like Executive Order 14091 (Further Advancing Racial Equity) halts efforts to address systemic inequities in federal programs (White House, 2025).²

Immigrant Communities
• Family Reunification: The revocation of Executive Order 14011 (Interagency Task Force on Family Reunification) ends efforts to reunite families separated during Trump’s first term (Presidency UCSB, 2025).³

Asylum Seekers: Rescinding Executive Order 14010 (Regional Framework for Migration) undermines protections for asylum seekers and disrupts cooperative migration management with Central American countries (Affirmative Action Law Advisor, 2025).

Environmental Advocates
• Climate Policies: Revoking Executive Orders 13990 (Protecting Public Health and Tackling the Climate Crisis) and 14008 (Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad) weakens federal commitments to sustainability and environmental justice.(White House, 2025; Foley & Lardner LLP, 2025).

Public Health

• COVID-19 Measures: The termination of pandemic-related orders such as Executive Orders 13995 (Equitable Pandemic Response) and 13996 (COVID-19 Testing Board) disrupts public health strategies aimed at equitable pandemic preparedness (Boston.com, 2025).⁴

Context of the Executive Order

This executive order reflects President Trump’s broader agenda to reverse policies he views as inconsistent with his administration’s priorities.

Key motivations include:

• Opposition to DEI Policies: The administration frames DEI initiatives as divisive and harmful to merit-based systems (Akin Gump, 2025).

• Climate Deregulation: Trump criticized Biden’s climate policies as burdensome to businesses and contributors to inflation (White House, 2025).⁵

• Immigration Enforcement: The order seeks to re-establish stricter immigration controls by reversing Biden-era reforms aimed at humane migration management (Affirmative Action Law Advisor, 2025).

• Economic Focus: The administration emphasizes reducing regulatory burdens to stimulate economic growth while framing many Biden-era policies as inflationary or inefficient (Foley & Lardner LLP, 2025).⁶
This directive aligns with Trump’s campaign promises to prioritize deregulation, national security, and traditionalist values.

Legal Challenges

The rescission of these executive orders is likely to face significant legal scrutiny:

Constitutional Violations
• Rescinding protections against discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation may conflict with Supreme Court rulings such as Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), which extended Title VII protections to LGBTQ+ individuals.⁷
• Immigration-related rollbacks could violate due process rights or international obligations under asylum agreements.

Administrative Overreach
Critics argue that rescinding orders without legislative input undermines the separation of powers. For example:
• Revoking climate-related policies might conflict with statutory mandates requiring federal agencies to address environmental risks.

Impact Litigation
• Advocacy groups are likely to challenge the termination of DEI programs as discriminatory under the Equal Protection Clause.
• Environmental organizations may sue over the rollback of climate initiatives, citing obligations under laws like the Clean Air Act.

Broader Implications

Governance
The order requires federal agencies to dismantle DEI offices, end related programs, and submit plans for further rollbacks within 45 days. This disrupts ongoing initiatives while signaling additional policy reversals shortly.

Social Impacts
Vulnerable populations—including immigrants, racial minorities, and LGBTQ+ individuals—face heightened uncertainty as protections are stripped away. Additionally:

Environmental deregulation could exacerbate climate change impacts.
• Public health strategies may become less equitable due to the termination of pandemic-related measures.

Legal Precedent
This order will likely test the limits of executive authority. Courts may need to determine whether such sweeping reversals align with constitutional principles and statutory frameworks.

Conclusion

President Trump’s Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions marks a significant departure from Biden-era policies, prioritizing deregulation, stricter immigration enforcement, and eliminating DEI initiatives. While proponents argue these changes restore “common sense” governance, critics warn they undermine civil rights, environmental protections, and public health measures. As legal challenges unfold, this executive order will remain a focal point in debates over the scope of presidential power and its impact on American society.

References

1. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. (2025). Trump executive order overview. Retrieved from https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/trump-executive-order-overview
   Affirmative Action Law Advisor. (2025). Breaking news: President Trump revokes a long list of Biden executive orders. Retrieved from https://www.affirmativeactionlawadvisor.com/2025/01/breaking-news-president-trump-revokes-a-long-list-of-biden-executive-orders/ ↩︎
2. The White House. (2025, January 21). Initial rescissions of harmful executive orders and actions. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions/ ↩︎
3. University of California Santa Barbara Presidency Project. (2025). Executive order—Initial rescissions of harmful executive orders and actions. Retrieved from https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-initial-rescissions-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions ↩︎
4. Boston.com. (2025). President Trump’s executive orders list: How will you be impacted?. Retrieved from https://www.boston.com/community/tell-us/2025/01/22/list-of-president-trumps-executive-orders-how-will-you-be-impacted/ ↩︎
5. The White House. (2025). Initial rescissions of harmful executive orders and actions. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions/ ↩︎
6. Foley & Lardner LLP. (2025). President Trump’s “Rescission” executive order. Retrieved from https://www.foley.com/insights/publications/2025/01/president-trumps-rescission-executive-order/ ↩︎
7. Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, 590 US 644 – Supreme Court 2020 – Google Scholar. (n.d.). https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=15591206893890926746&q=Bostock+v.+Clayton+County+(2020)&hl=en&as_sdt=2006 ↩︎