President Donald Trump turned years of campaign rhetoric into reality on Monday, pledging within hours of his inauguration to sign executive orders aimed at everything from restricting immigration to rolling back protections for transgender people.

The orders marked the Trump administration’s first actionable steps, which could have wide-ranging consequences for Maryland, a state that relies heavily on federal jobs and funding that Trump and his allies have said they will slash.

Trump said his executive orders would restore America and begin a revolution of “common sense.”

“My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal, and all of these many betrayals that have taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed, their freedom,” Trump said in his inaugural address.

Some of Maryland’s mostly Democratic leaders said they were concerned about Trump’s moves after returning to power, while others expressed hope for partnership opportunities.

“President Trump is trying to flood the zone with a flurry of executive orders that he claims will solve our nation’s problems, but most are, at best, misguided — and in many cases just plain wrong,” U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, said in a statement. “For example, while I’m for greater government efficiency, his plan to replace merit-based federal civil servants with political cronies will do the opposite and open the door to large-scale corruption.”

U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, an Anne Arundel County Democrat who focused on environmental policies before entering Congress earlier this month, said she “strongly” disagreed with Trump’s quick decision to reverse climate change policies, including his move to once again pull back from the Paris Climate Agreement.

“I was deeply disappointed to see President Trump announce nearly 100 executive orders focused on retribution and culture war politics that fail to address Americans’ real concerns like the rising costs of housing and prescription drugs,” she said in a statement, adding that the country “cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the realities of the climate crisis.”

The initial slate of orders — like much of the returning president’s campaign platform — focused on the southern border.

Declaring a national emergency at the border, suspending refugee resettlements and restarting a policy that forces asylum seekers to wait over the border were among the actions. Trump also said he planned to end birthright citizenship, which is protected in the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The moves were akin to a “full-scale assault on immigrant families and communities of color,” Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA, a national organization that supports immigrant communities, said in a statement.

“The Trump administration is once again leading the United States in abandoning its legal and moral obligation to be a refuge for those fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries and effectively dismantling our asylum system,” Torres said. “Thousands of CASA members have come to this country to avail themselves of those protections, leaving their home countries with heavy hearts and a hope that they will be welcomed here.”

The organization, which has a substantial presence in Maryland, was preparing immediate legal action to challenge the ending of birthright citizenship, said spokeswoman Jossie Flor Sapunar. She said the group had also launched a “raid tip hotline” so people in Baltimore City and elsewhere can report information about more aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that Trump has promised.

“It is something that we’re actively preparing for as an organization,” she said.

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of the Baltimore-based Global Refuge, has also warned about the upcoming immigration policies.

Her organization helps resettle refugees from around the world — a process that was significantly limited during Trump’s first term. After refugee admissions dropped from about 54,000 to 11,400 between the 2017 and 2021 fiscal years, it grew back to 100,000 in the 2024 fiscal year, according to national data compiled by the Refugee Processing Center. In Maryland, 2,060 refugees were resettled in that final full year — with a plurality of 532 coming from Afghanistan and about 200 coming from Syria, Venezuela and Guatemala, each.

Trump’s executive orders call for suspending resettlements for at least four months.

“The policy implications are not abstract by any means,” Vignarajah said in a statement. “Persecuted people who have patiently waited for their chance at protection are poised to languish in legal limbo. Family reunifications are likely to be delayed for the foreseeable future, if not derailed entirely. Employers will lose access to a key talent pool they desperately need amid nationwide labor shortages. And communities that have come to rely on newcomers for revitalizing their economies and tax bases face impactful economic loss.”

Other policy areas targeted on Trump’s first day include energy production and diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government. His executive orders declared an energy emergency, ordered the federal government recognize only two immutable sexes — male and female — and prohibited federal taxpayer money from being used to fund “transition services.”

Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who once signed an executive order to protect gender-affirming care, issued a statement Monday discussing his goals of “protecting the interest of all Marylanders” during the transition.

“We thank the Biden-Harris Administration for their steadfast partnership… and we will partner with the Trump-Vance Administration when we are aligned on those core principles that will make progress for Marylanders,” Moore said. “We pray for God’s grace as our state and nation open this next chapter.”

Other prominent Maryland Democrats who attended the scaled-back inaugural ceremony inside the U.S. Capitol similarly spoke in positive terms.

U.S. Rep. Johnny Olszewski, Jr., of Baltimore County, said in a statement he was looking forward to “leveraging all opportunities to collaborate on common sense policies.” Former U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, of St. Mary’s County, said he would work to “build consensus.”

“President Trump and I do not always see eye to eye. Nevertheless, I wish him and his administration luck,” Hoyer said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, an Eastern Shore Republican and ardent supporter of Trump’s agenda, did not return a request for comment but wrote on social media that it was “a privilege to be there for President Trump’s inauguration.”

Trump’s most enthusiastic fans, meanwhile, were overjoyed as they roamed the freezing streets of Washington, D.C. for the inaugural festivities.

Kam Denton, of Indiana, said he hoped Trump’s executive orders touched on deregulating the energy industry because he believes nuclear energy is the “cleanest, safest form of energy production.”

John DiCarlo, of Ohio, said he was most looking forward to executive orders on immigration and energy.

“Trump has the best instincts, so whatever he says, always do it,” he said.

Brooke Conrad contributed to this article.