President Joe Biden signed executive orders on housing on Tuesday, ending the Justice Department’s use of private prisons as part of what the White House calls its “racial equality agenda.”
The big picture: Biden needs the support of Congress to pass police reform or new voting rights legislation. The executive orders serve as his deposit to immediately address systemic racism as he targets the pandemic.
Details: Biden will commission the Department of Housing and Urban Development to investigate how previous administrations have undermined fair housing policies and laws, senior officials said.
- Another executive order orders the Attorney General not to renew the Department of Justice contracts with private criminal detention centers. Domestic policy Tsar Susan Czar confirmed at a press conference that the order does not apply to private immigration facilities, which are under the Department of Homeland Security.
- An executive order calls for “restoration of federal respect for tribal sovereignty” after years of tension between tribal governments and former President Trump.
- Biden also commissioned the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate how Trump’s rhetoric about COVID-19 may have led to discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific islanders.
The intrigue: The Biden administration said the executive orders are a preview of what’s coming on its agenda for racial equality as it prepares legislative proposals to combat discrimination and poverty.
It comes down to: Biden’s early steps towards racial equality are a major shift in tone from Trump, who often praised Confederate General Robert E. Lee, denounced investigations into slavery and racial justice, and ordered agencies to end diversity training.