US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order ending the moratorium on the federal death penalty, introduced by his predecessor Joe Biden in 2021.
The new directive requires the Attorney General to seek capital punishment as a priority in cases of murder of law enforcement officers and for capital crimes committed by immigrants present illegally in the country.
The order establishes that the death penalty be sought “regardless of other factors,” reinforcing a hardline approach to the most serious crimes. Trump also instructed the Justice Department to take all legal action necessary to ensure states have an adequate supply of lethal injection drugs, thus overcoming logistical difficulties that have slowed the implementation of death sentences in recent years.
The move marks a sharp reversal from the Biden administration, which commuted 37 federal death sentences to life in prison and reduced the number of inmates remaining on federal death row to three.
The moratorium, introduced by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, was intended to suspend executions to allow for a review of the federal justice system regarding capital punishment.
With this move,Trump reaffirms his hard line on justice and immigration, reigniting the debate on the legitimacy and effectiveness of the death penalty in the United States.
Article published on 21 January 2025 - 19:49
