President Donald Trump has granted pardons to roughly 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, along with six commutations. The move fulfills a campaign promise to release his supporters who were prosecuted for their roles in the attack aimed at overturning the 2020 election results.
“These are the hostages,” Trump said while signing the pardons during his first appearance in the Oval Office on Monday, just hours after being sworn in for his second term.
The pardons mark a symbolic beginning to Trump’s new administration, following a day of inaugural celebrations. Earlier in the day, Trump signed an initial wave of executive orders at Washington’s Capital One Arena, where thousands of his supporters gathered for an indoor inaugural parade due to frigid temperatures.
Trump Reverses Biden-Era Immigration Policies
In addition to the pardons, Trump has moved swiftly to reverse key immigration policies implemented during President Joe Biden’s tenure. Among the rescinded orders is a Biden directive that narrowed deportation priorities to individuals who committed serious crimes, posed national security threats, or were apprehended at the border.
Trump’s action restores his first-term policy, which prioritizes the deportation of all individuals in the country illegally. Tom Homan, Trump’s newly appointed “border czar” and a staunch advocate of tougher immigration enforcement, stated that while the administration will focus on targeting criminals, it “won’t hesitate to arrest others when deportation officers are on the streets.”
The immigration rollbacks and pardons are the first steps in a series of executive actions planned by Trump, setting the tone for a presidency focused on fulfilling campaign promises and revisiting his previous administration’s hardline policies.
