This timeline chronicles the rapid and transformative events of 2025 a year defined by the synchronized “hardening” of borders across the Western world. From inauguration-day executive orders in the United States to legislative overhauls in Canada and the UK, 2025 marked the transition from managed migration to active deterrence and restriction.

Q1 2025: The Opening Salvos (January – March)

The year began with an immediate executive blitz in the United States, signaling the start of the “Sovereign Reassertion” era.

January 20 (Inauguration Day)

Executive Order 14161 Signed — President Trump signs “Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” laying the legal groundwork for future travel bans and vetting protocols.

“Sensitive Locations” Policy Redacted — The administration redacts the policy that previously restricted enforcement actions in schools, hospitals, and places of worship, enabling expanded ICE arrests.

February

Historic Border Lows — CBP reports monthly encounters at the Southwest border drop to approximately 3,300—a 93% decrease year-over-year and a level not seen since the 1970s.

March 11

CBP Home Rebrand — CBP announces the transition of the “CBP One” app into “CBP Home,” repurposing the tool to facilitate voluntary departure rather than entry.

March 14-15

Alien Enemies Act Invoked — The President issues Proclamation 10903, invoking the Alien Enemies Act to declare members of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua as “invaders,” authorizing their immediate apprehension and removal without standard immigration proceedings.

March 23

Australia Student Visa Tightening — Australia replaces the “Genuine Temporary Entrant” requirement with a stricter “Genuine Student” (GS) test to curb visa hopping.

Q2 2025: The Architecture of Enforcement (April – June)

The focus shifts to interior enforcement, the creation of digitized “self-deportation” infrastructure, and targeted executive orders.

April 15

Social Security Denial — A Presidential Memorandum directs federal agencies to prevent undocumented immigrants from obtaining Social Security numbers or benefits.

April 23

University Transparency — EO 14282 is signed, requiring transparency regarding foreign influence at American universities.

April 28

Sanctuary Cities Targeted — EO 14287 “Protecting American Communities” mandates closer cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, effectively penalizing sanctuary jurisdictions.

May 5

The “Exit Bonus” — DHS announces a $1,000 stipend and travel assistance for undocumented individuals who self-deport using the CBP Home app.

Court Warnings — Flyers titled “Message to Illegal Aliens” appear in immigration courts, warning of daily fines up to $1,000 and asset confiscation for failure to depart.

May 9

Project Homecoming Established — The President signs Proclamation 10935, formally establishing the “Project Homecoming” voluntary departure program and authorizing the hiring of 20,000 new enforcement officers.

May 13

TPS Termination (Afghanistan) — DHS issues notice officially terminating Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan (effective July 14).

June 2

TPS Termination (Cameroon) — DHS announces the termination of TPS for Cameroon (effective August 4).

June 4

Travel Ban Returns — Proclamation 10949 (“Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals…”) is signed, suspending entry for nationals from 12 countries deemed to have “deficient” information-sharing protocols.

Harvard University Targeted — Proclamation 10948 is issued to address specific national security risks at Harvard University.

June 16

CBP Link Launched — CBP announces the “CBP Link” mobile app, focusing on border entry and restoring some capabilities of the former CBP One app.

Q3 2025: Legislative Walls and Economic Barriers (July – September)

The summer sees the codification of high costs for immigrants and the spread of restrictionist policies to the UK and Australia.

July 4

OBBBA Signed — The FY 2025 Reconciliation Bill (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) is signed into law. It imposes a $1,000 fee for parole applications and a $100 fee for asylum claims.

July 14

TPS Afghanistan Ends — Termination effective date.

July 15

USCIS Director Confirmed — The Senate confirms Joseph Edlow as Director of USCIS (Vote 52-47).

Dignity Act Introduced — Bipartisan group introduces the “Dignity Act of 2025” (H.R. 4393) in the House, proposing a deferred action program funded by a levy on worker paychecks.

July 22

UK Care Worker Ban — New UK immigration rules take effect, banning the overseas recruitment of care workers and replacing the “Shortage Occupation List” with a stricter “Immigration Salary List.”

August 4-5

TPS Terminations — TPS ends for Cameroon (Aug 4) and Nepal (Aug 5).

August 19

“Anti-Americanism” Standard — USCIS updates its Policy Manual to include “anti-Americanism” and “antisemitism” as overwhelmingly negative factors in discretionary adjudications. Social media vetting expands to all benefit types.

September 2

Australia Migration Cap — Australian government announces the 2025–26 permanent Migration Program will be set at 185,000 places.

September 8

TPS Honduras & Nicaragua Ends — Termination effective date.

September 19

H-1B “Tariff” Proclamation — The President issues a Proclamation requiring a $100,000 fee for all new H-1B petitions.

TPS Syria Termination — DHS announces termination of TPS for Syria (effective Nov 21), though later litigation pauses this.

September 21

H-1B Fee Effective — At 12:01 AM, the $100,000 fee requirement goes live for new petitions.

Q4 2025: Crisis, Tragedy, and Judicial Rebuke (October – December)

The year concludes with high-stakes constitutional battles, a tragic shooting that triggers a visa suspension, and a judicial rebuke of executive power.

October 4

Martial Law Attempt — President Trump invokes 10 U.S.C. §12406 to federalize the Illinois National Guard and deploy them to Chicago to “protect federal personnel.”

October 9

Judicial Blockade — A U.S. District Judge in Illinois issues a TRO blocking the National Guard deployment.

October 20-21

H-1B Clarification — USCIS issues guidance clarifying that the $100,000 fee must be paid via Pay.gov prior to filing and does not apply to extensions for workers already in the U.S.

October 24

Canada Levels Plan — Canada releases its 2025-2027 Levels Plan, setting a hard cap to reduce the temporary resident population to 5% of the total population.

November 3

TPS South Sudan Ends — Termination effective date.

November 7

TPS Venezuela Ends — Termination of the 2021 designation becomes effective.

November 25

TPS Burma Ends — Termination effective date.

November 26

Global Asylum Freeze — Following an attack by an Afghan national on a National Guard member, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem orders an immediate “hold” on asylum processing for nationals of all countries.

December 2

USCIS “Hold and Review” — USCIS publishes a Policy Memo (PM-602-0192) placing a hold on all pending benefit requests for nationals of “high risk” countries.

December 4

“Alligator Alcatraz” Report — Amnesty International releases its investigation into the Everglades Detention Facility, documenting the use of outdoor cages (“the box”) to coerce self-deportation.

December 5

Vetting Center Established — USCIS establishes a centralized “Vetting Center” in Atlanta to screen for national security threats.

December 11

Canada Bill C-12 — The “Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act” passes the House of Commons.

December 13

Brown University Shooting — A gunman opens fire at Brown University, killing two. He is later linked to the murder of an MIT professor.

December 16

Travel Ban Expanded (Proclamation 10998) — The White House announces the expansion of the travel ban to 19 countries (adding Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria) effective Jan 1, 2026.

December 18

Suspect Found — The Brown University suspect, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, is found dead. Investigation reveals he entered the U.S. via the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery in 2017.

December 19

Diversity Visa Suspended — DHS Secretary Noem announces an immediate “pause” on the entire Diversity Visa program to “ensure no more Americans are harmed.”

December 23

Supreme Court Ruling (Trump v. Illinois) — In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court rules the President lacks authority to deploy the National Guard for domestic law enforcement when civilian agencies remain functional.

Canada Senate — Bill C-12 is tabled in the Canadian Senate.

Looking Ahead: 2026

January 1, 2026 — The expanded Travel Ban (Proclamation 10998) takes full effect.

February 2026 — Canada’s Bill C-12 is scheduled for final passage in the Senate.