President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Wednesday aimed at launching the construction of a wall on the Mexican border and restricting illegal immigration, moving aggressively in his first week in office to fulfil major campaign promises. The orders call for the hiring of 5,000 additional US Border Patrol agents. They require a termination of the practice known as “catch and release,” whereby migrants are sometimes released in the United States shortly after their apprehension for immigration law violations. US government agencies will also bar undocumented persons from protections of the Privacy Act which guards personally identifiable information. The orders also require government agencies to provide quarterly reports on the number of undocumented immigrants detained in federal and state prisons and local jails.

Source: Hindustan Times January 26, 2017 06:33 UTC