In the first 90 days of President Trump’s administration, he signed 130 executive orders, marking the highest first-year count since President Harry Truman. Despite a lack of representation in the United States Senate or votes in the House, the US territories have felt targeted impacts as a result of these directives.
On January 21, 2025—one day after taking office—the US Coast Guard announced an executive order to immediately boost its presence along US maritime borders. The order’s goal is to deter illegal migration and drug smuggling into the US. Each of the US territories is listed as a targeted location for heightened Coast Guard presence. Alongside the five territories, the order lists the southeast and border approaching Florida and the southwest maritime border as critical regions.
On March 1, 2025, Trump signed an executive order declaring English as the official language of the US. This is a historic shift for a country that has never had a federally recognized language. The decision seeks to encourage “new Americans to adopt a national language that opens doors to greater opportunities.” However, it raises debate over what changes could take place in the Spanish-speaking US territory of Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, only 5% of inhabitants use English as their primary language at home. Furthermore, Spanish remains the islands’ primary language for government and public affairs. While this designation has been in effect for under two months, many pro-statehood individuals remain curious about how the decision will impact Puerto Rico’s future. In response, Puerto Rico Democratic Party chairman, Rodriguez, stated that, “The statehood movement has always been clear. Turning Puerto Rico into a state is not about ceasing to be who we are.” Overall, the order has prompted discussions among policymakers about its implications for education, public services, and federal compliance in the non-English speaking territories.
On April 9, Trump ordered an executive policy entitled “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance.” In response, Republican Delegate James Moylan of Guam stated that the act “has already created significant opportunities for Guam.” The order includes the launch of a Maritime Security Trust Fund and the establishment of a Shipbuilding Financial Incentives Program. Moylan is optimistic that these projects will help Guam’s economy by prioritizing America’s maritime dominance. With the implementation of this order, Guam could play a critical role in the United States’ maritime and economic strategies, like, for instance, in the cruise tourism industry. He also emphasized the need to view the Port of Guam not solely through a military lens, but as a vital part of the island’s broader economic development.
In another statement by Moylan on January 24, 2025, the delegate pushed for Guam’s inclusion in Trump’s executive order, “Delivering Emergency Price Relief for American Families and Defeating the Cost-of-Living Factor,” to combat rising costs. Moylan called attention to Guam’s unique economic struggles, including high costs of goods and limited access to affordable air travel, exacerbated by its remote location in the Pacific. He expressed hope that including the US territories in the order could help address long-standing disparities, although the administration has not yet confirmed whether Guam will be included.
Then, on April 17, 2025, Trump signed a proclamation opening the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) to commercial fishing. American Samoa’s economy depends heavily on fishing (especially tuna), so this order could boost the territory’s economy substantially. It now allows US-flagged vessels to fish commercially within 50 to 200 nautical miles of the PRIMNM’s boundaries. However, environmentalists highlight how opening this area to commercial fishing would pose a threat to the area’s fragile ecosystems. As Pacific Islands Director for the Center for Biological Diversity, Max Phillips states, “Trump right here is giving a gift to the industrial fishing fleets. And it’s a direct slap in the face to science, to the ocean, to the generations of Pacific Islanders who fought long and hard to protect these sacred waters.” This tension underscores the conflicting interests at play, adding complexity to the impact of this order’s repercussions in American Samoa and other islands in the Pacific.
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