In the past few weeks Joe Biden has been president, his leadership has already taken off. From his first day in office, he has signed and passed multiple executive orders, setting a foundation for his term. Since then, many more actions have taken place, leading the U.S. into the new decade.

   On day one, Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change which had been previously abandoned by President Trump while he was in office. This agreement stretches internationally to decrease toxic emissions that are directly linked to causing climate change due to global warming. He also signed the executive order to bring the government’s focus back to the climate crisis and end the Keystone XL permit, which was a 1,200-mile pipeline that carried oil through sensitive native lands from Canada to the U.S.

   Biden signed an executive order in hopes of promoting racial equality in which the government will assess the equality of its resources and agencies to suit minorities that have been previously overlooked. Following this comes the executive order to ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. Biden combats these discriminations by providing protections for those of the LGTBQ+ community.

   Along with dealing with societal issues, Biden has signed the executive order to begin, as a whole, government response to COVID-19. This order encases the severity of the U.S. death toll nearing half-a-million and the importance of government aid to its citizens by providing tests, vaccines, and other resources. Research has been promoted to follow data scales and provide accurate information, supply, and response. He has also mandated wearing masks in public and on private property to ensure the safety of those affected most by the pandemic.

   Looking past pandemic-related executive orders, Biden began releasing a string of executive orders focused on immigration, including ending the ban of U.S. entry from Muslim countries, revising immigration enforcement policies, and adding undocumented immigrants into the census. Many of these policies are reversing previous policies implemented by former president Trump.

   These orders will resume receiving refugees and citizens from majority Muslim countries and protect all immigrants seeking asylum and refuge within U.S. borders. Immigrants without documentation are being protected as well, and they are now counted in the national decennial population count for the census. Biden also steps forward against deportation policies and begins humanitarian work to combat these challenges.

   Biden’s new orders are only a few of the prevalent actions underway. The changes made to U.S. policies are expected to make a great impact, for better or for worse.