Executive Order 14190
On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump signed EO 14190, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.” The order aims to cut federal funding from schools with “gender ideology,” “discriminatory equity ideology” and “critical race theory” in their curriculum.
The order addresses divisive issues such as gender-affirming care for transgender youth and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in public education. It points to school employees facilitating minors’ social transitions — defined as identifying with a gender different from their biological sex — as a reason for pulling federal funds. This could include referring to a student as “nonbinary” and allowing students to play sports meant for their “opposite sex.”
The order also restricts curricula that promote “radical, anti-American ideologies,” including those that suggest an individual’s status as “privileged, oppressing or oppressed” is primarily determined by their race, color, sex or national origin. It reinstates the 1776 Commission, first created during Trump’s first term and later dissolved by former President Joe Biden. The committee will “promote patriotic education.”
While it does not impose immediate changes, EO 14190 echoes existing laws in 21 states that restrict discussions of topics like race, gender and sexual orientation in classrooms. The order has caused confusion in states like California, where DEI protections are enshrined in state education laws. It remains unclear whether EO 14190 overrides these laws. Critics argue that it violates the First Amendment’s free speech protections and the Department of Education Organization Act, which prohibits federal interference in school curricula.
Executive Order 14168
Signed on Jan. 29, EO 14168, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” unlinks gender identity from biological sex. The order promotes “sex-based rights,” asserting that labeling a male as a female deprives women of their “dignity, safety and well-being.” It defines being female as “belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell” and being male stems as belonging to the sex that produces the “small reproductive cell.” Biologists argue that these definitions are scientifically flawed, as egg and sperm cells develop only after conception.
While the order promotes biological sex, it dismisses “gender ideology” — which it defines as the belief that a “vast spectrum of genders” exists apart from sex — as “internally inconsistent.” It bars federal agencies from promoting or recognizing gender ideology and mandates replacing all mentions of “gender” with “sex” in legal contexts. Documents such as passports and visas, along with research from federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are currently being revised in compliance. These changes have sparked protests from scientists, who argue that gender-related terminology is essential for safeguarding public health.
EO 14168 mandates the transfer of transgender female inmates in federal prisons to men’s facilities and suspends gender-affirming medical care for prisoners. On Feb. 18, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the transfers. Critics argue that, like other aspects of the order, the transfer policy endangers transgender individuals by stripping them of legal protections and safety measures.
Executive Order 14159
Citing threats to national security and public safety, such as espionage and human trafficking, EO 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” addresses illegal immigration. The order signals an expansion of legal power in line with Trump’s campaign promise to carry out mass deportations.
The order radically expands the “expedited removal” statute, which allows the U.S. to deport accused noncitizens by skipping a legal hearing that might otherwise allow them to stay in the country. Previously, the process only applied to arrests within 14 days of entering the U.S. and 100 miles of the border, covering the majority of California. EO 14159 expands the window of entry to two years and the locale to the entire country.
The order instructs the Department of Homeland Security to deny work permits like H-1B visas to people with nonlegal and pending status. The DHS also will allow state and local law enforcement officers to uphold federal immigration policy “to the maximum extent permitted by law.”
Executive Order 14162
EO 14162, “Putting America First in International Environment Agreements,” seeks to prioritize economic growth. Though the Jan. 20 order declares the U.S.’s intent to take on “a leadership role in global efforts to protect the environment,” it steps away from global climate initiatives under the United Nations.
Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, of which the U.S. remains a member, the order directs the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The landmark 2016 treaty, which advocates for the long-term goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, requires participating countries to regularly formulate plans for national climate action. According to the order, which also cites the U.S.’s “successful track record of advancing both economic and environmental objectives,” international agreements such as these divert taxpayer money to “countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interests of the American people.” Trump previously withdrew from the Paris Agreement during his first term, though Biden signed an executive order rejoining it when he took office.
The order also immediately revokes the U.S. International Climate Finance Plan, which contributed $11 billion in climate mitigation funds to developing nations in 2024. The plan was launched by the Biden Administration in 2021 through EO 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.”
