WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order on Monday aimed at reinstating and expanding the use of capital punishment at the federal level, reversing policies enacted under the Biden administration and strengthening measures to enforce the death penalty for violent crimes.
The order, titled Restoring Justice and Preserving Capital Punishment, directs the Department of Justice to seek the death penalty in all applicable cases, particularly for crimes involving the murder of law enforcement officers or capital offenses committed by undocumented immigrants. It also mandates the Attorney General to ensure that states have access to lethal injection drugs and to challenge judicial precedents seen as limiting the use of capital punishment.
The move comes in direct opposition to actions taken by former President Joe Biden, who had issued a federal moratorium on executions and commuted the sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row. Trump’s order directs the Attorney General to evaluate the conditions of confinement for those individuals and to explore whether state-level charges could allow for renewed capital prosecutions.
“Capital punishment is an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who commit the most heinous crimes,” the order states, asserting that its purpose is to uphold the rule of law and provide justice for victims of violent crimes. The Justice Department is also tasked with supporting state prosecutors in pursuing capital charges and ensuring coordination between federal and local law enforcement.
The executive order is expected to reignite debate over the role of the death penalty in the U.S., with advocates for capital punishment praising the measure as a step toward accountability, while opponents argue it raises ethical and legal concerns.