On Friday, President Trump signed a new executive order targeting illegal immigrant criminals in the United States, instructing federal agencies to improve the existing records sharing procedures.
The executive order requires the Department of Justice to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with full access to federal criminal archives, in order to more effectively implement screening, review, and border enforcement actions against illegal immigration. This is the latest move in Trump’s pledge during his 2024 presidential campaign to launch the largest deportation of illegal immigrants in U.S. history.
The executive order is titled “Protecting the National Security and Welfare of the United States and its Citizens From Criminal Actors and Other Public Safety Threats.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s mission is to prevent dangerous goods, drugs, and firearms from entering the U.S., while detecting and responding to terrorists, drug traffickers, and human traffickers. Trump’s order states that in order to fulfill these duties, the DHS immigration enforcement department must have access to the criminal case records of federal agencies.
The order reads: “The Attorney General shall provide access to the Department of Homeland Security to the extent permissible by law.”
Trump also directed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to exchange criminal case history records with visa waiver countries and other trusted allies. According to the order, the criminal case history information provided to allies will only be used for screening travelers and immigrants attempting to stay in the U.S.
The order states: “The exchange of (criminal history record information) with foreign countries by the Secretary of Homeland Security shall be conducted on a reciprocal basis and pursuant to bilateral or multilateral agreements or arrangements entered into by the Department of Homeland Security, which agreements or arrangements shall include appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of Americans.”
This is the latest effort by the Trump administration to improve or expand record sharing among federal agencies.
In late December 2025, a federal judge ruled that government departments can continue sharing some immigrant Medicaid data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including basic records, addresses, and contact information.
On February 5, a federal judge temporarily blocked the DHS from using IRS information, such as addresses, for immigration enforcement purposes. This setback has hindered the Trump administration’s efforts to promote data sharing among federal agencies.
On December 10, 2025, the DHS announced that over 2.5 million illegal immigrants had left the U.S. since the start of Trump’s second term. Among them, over 605,000 were deported as part of federal enforcement actions, with approximately 1.9 million voluntarily departing.
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS, Tricia McLaughlin, previously stated: “Illegal immigrants have heard our message to leave now. They know that if they don’t leave, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never be able to return.”
On Friday, Trump also signed a series of other executive orders. These include expanding Atlantic commercial fishing, establishing a U.S.-first weapons transfer strategy, and revoking punitive tariffs imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil, among others.