US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to "repel, repatriate, and remove illegal aliens" across the southern border of the US
Meanwhile, all refugee travel to the US is being suspended, following a separate order, one of several signed by Trump in the first few days of his presidency
Earlier, Trump urged Russia's Vladimir Putin to make a deal to end the "ridiculous" Ukraine war or face new tariffs and sanctions
In a social media post, he said he had a good relationship with his Russian counterpart but if a deal was not made soon he would impose economic penalties
Russian ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy responded saying, "We have to see what does the 'deal' mean"?
Also on Wednesday, federal agencies put diversity staff on paid leave "immediately"
Analysis: Trump comes out swinging in fast start to presidency, writes BBC's North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher
Edited by Brandon Livesay and Lisa Lambert in Washington DC, with Bernd Debusmann Jr at the White House
Mike Wendling
US digital reporter
Tarrio (centre, with sunglasses and holding cigarette) and other Proud Boys marching in Washington days before the January 6 riot at the US Capitol
Members of the far-right Proud Boys group are celebrating on the communications channels run by their chapters, excited about the pardons that Donald Trump has granted to those in their ranks who were convicted for the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot.
Their former leader Enrique Tarrio received one of the pardons and has just landed back in his home city of Miami after being released from prison in Texas.
The second Trump term could see a resurgence of the all-male group, which during Trump’s first term regularly brawled with far-left antifa activists on the streets of American cities.
After the Capitol riot and the arrests of its leaders the national Proud Boys fractured, retreated to their local chapters and kept a relatively low profile, occasionally protesting LGBTQ events and drag story hours.
Their messages today – and a march by some members though Washington on Monday – indicate they may return to street-level activism.
They communicate through dozens of public channels on Telegram, which are filling up with celebratory chatter and barbs and slurs directed at their enemies. But they also appear to have moved some of their communications to less public outlets as they regroup.
When asked by reporters whether he was still a member of Proud Boys, Tarrio said: “We’ve made the decision four years ago not to tell the media what our structure is, but I'd suggest that the media should, should stop calling me ‘ex Proud Boy leader’.”
Meanwhile some of Trump’s opponents and others across a wide swathe of the political spectrum have criticised the pardons.
“Trump just OK’d political violence,” former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh told the BBC’s The Context programme. Referring to the Proud Boys, he said: “They now believe they are free to do what they want, because Donald Trump has their back.”
Read more: Trump pardons give Jan 6 defendants nearly everything they wanted
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
President Trump and his team are monitoring a school shooting in Nashville, according to the White House.
According to US media reports, at least one student is dead and another wounded after a shooting in a school cafeteria. The suspect, also reportedly a student, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"As details unfold, the White House offers its heartfelt thoughts and prayers to those impacted by this senseless tragedy and thank the brave first responders responding to the incident," the White House said in a statement.
Reporters at the White House stopped White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to pepper her with questions about the latest Trump executive order.
Leavitt confirmed reports of the latest immigration executive action were accurate and that 1,500 additional troops would be sent to the US southern border.
"The American people have been waiting for such a time as this, for our Department of Defence to actually take homeland security seriously," Leavitt said. "This is a number one priority of the American people and the president is already delivering on that."
Leavitt told reporters Trump is prioritizing "deporting illegal immigrants" from the US and rejecting those considering coming to the border.
"You will be returned home, you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted," she said. "Do not come."
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
As we've reported, we've just had another announcement from President Trump, this time "suspending the physical entry of aliens engaged in an invasion" of the US across the southern border.
The executive action instructs various parts of the federal government – including the Justice Department, State Department and Homeland Security – to "immediately repel, repatriate and remove illegal aliens" across the southern border.
Broadly speaking, this announcement can be seen as a formal mission statement, of sorts, under which some of the other changes we've been reporting today fall.
This includes moves to expand the process to swiftly deport undocumented immigrants, as well as deploy 1,000 active duty troops to the US border.
Just a few moments ago, the White House's new Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters outside that Trump is "sending a very strong message to people around the world".
In the coming days, migrant advocacy organisations and communities across the country – particularly at the border – will be watching to see the on-the-ground impact of these orders and actions.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, just spoke with Fox News and said Trump's latest border announcement – ordering multiple executive departments to take all necessary action to repel, repatriate and remove illegal migrants – is evidence he is using "executive powers to secure our nations borders".
Leavitt says Trump is delivering on the immigration promises he made on the campaign trail.
"If you are even thinking for a single second about illegally entering our country and breaking the laws of the United States of America, you will face consequences for doing so," she says.
President Trump has signed another executive action on the border, Reuters reports.
It directs Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the State Department to take all necessary action to immediately repel, repatriate and remove all "illegal aliens" across the southern border, the news agency reports.
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
One topic that President Trump has mentioned, but hasn't acted on yet, is tariffs.
He had pledged to slap them on some of America's biggest trade partners on day one to protect American industries and generate new revenue to fund his favoured government programmes.
Economists, including some in the Trump administration, have cautioned that tariffs could drive up consumer costs and hurt American businesses that rely on imports in their supply chain.
It could be a reason why Trump, with his eye on the stock market and economic growth, is treading more carefully when it comes to trade.
But Trump's second term is just getting started. He promises more significant presidential actions in the days ahead – moves that will almost certainly test the limits of presidential power.
Jessica Parker
BBC News Berlin correspondent
Europe is watching and waiting to see whether Donald Trump moves ahead with a well-advertised intention to hit the European Union with trade tariffs.
Speaking to the BBC today, one German business group executive says a big question is whether the US President might pursue a more sweeping, universal tax on goods or take a more targeted approach.
“Our fear is that if it’s sectoral or national, then it gets complicated,” says Wolfgang Niedermark, who is on the board of the Federation of German Industries (BDI).
He believes the EU must make sure that any response is both calm and coordinated.
“Unity is key. If we lose that then we are half-lost already.”
Germany’s car industry is one “very obvious” vulnerability, says Mr Niedermark.
“Of course our big players have huge production sites in the US and they could think of expanding those… but that’s not good news for Europe as a business location.”
The head of the world's largest bank, JP Morgan Chase, says Trump's potential tariffs are good for national security, adding that critics should "get over it".
“If it’s a little inflationary, but it’s good for national security, so be it. I mean, get over it,” Jamie Dimon told CNBC at the World Economic Forum.
“National security trumps a little bit more inflation," the JP Morgan Chase boss added.
As a reminder, Trump on Truth Social threatened "high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions" on Russia over the war in Ukraine on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, Trump said he was considering imposing a 10% tariff on imports of Chinese-made goods as soon as 1 February.
As we've been reporting, President Trump has announced several new immigration policies, including declaring a border emergency, suspending all refugees' travel to the US, and an order to end US birthright citizenship.
In the video below we can see boats and cranes placing buoys on the Rio Grande river, which is situated at the Texas-Mexico border.
This video can not be played
Watch: New migrant deterrents installed on US-Mexico border river in Texas
Samantha Granville
Reporting from Los Angeles
Yesterday at the border, as our team was trying to find a live location to broadcast from, we ran into soldiers from the US Army. They were sitting in a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) car at the top of a hill overlooking the US-Mexico border in San Diego.
Both women we encountered both seemed very relaxed about our presence there. But within minutes, four CBP officers came zooming up on quad bikes, telling us we needed to leave immediately and that we were not authorized to be there.
Approximately 2,200 active-duty personnel are currently stationed at the border as part of Joint Task Force-North, a US Northern Command mission based in El Paso, Texas.
Their primary role is to support CBP by handling logistical and administrative tasks such as data entry, surveillance, vehicle maintenance, and monitoring operations.
It remains unclear which specific units are being deployed to the border.
Additionally, the Texas National Guard oversees Operation Lone Star, which currently includes approximately 4,500 National Guardsmen, according to the Texas Military Department.
The new active-duty troops being sent this week are expected to integrate with these troops.
We understand their duties will focus on maintaining operational readiness for CBP, assisting command-and-control centres, and providing enhanced intelligence support to analyse threats and track migrant movements, according to sources familiar with the plans.
Will Grant
Reporting from the US-Mexico border
There are few details about specific locations where the 1,000 additional active-duty troops will be deployed on the border – particular if they will focus on ports of entry or at more vulnerable spots.
Assuming they arrive within the coming days, customs and border protection agents may welcome the support.
However, although President Trump characterises the situation at the border as an emergency, the numbers of detentions of undocumented migrants is currently at its lowest level in years. Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
News of the pausing of refugee processing and travel is likely to impact thousands of people around the globe who hope get to the US.
AP News reports that an estimated 15,000 Afghan nationals are waiting in Pakistan to be approved for resettlement in the US.
Already, refugees who had been approved to travel to the US have had their plans cancelled – impacting more than 1,600 Afghans who had already been cleared by US authorities.
The move prompted an advocacy group called Afghan USRAP Refugees – named after the US Refugee Admissions Program – to send an open letter to Donald Trump stating that many of its members "risked our lives to support the US mission" in Afghanistan.
"The Taliban regard us as traitors, and returning to Afghanistan would expose us to arrest, torture, or death," the letter added. "In Pakistan, the situation is increasingly untenable. Arbitrary arrests, deportations, and insecurity compound our distress."
More than 3,000 other Afghan nationals are waiting in Albania to be resettled in the US. 
Tom Bateman
State Department correspondent
A memo sent by the US agency that processes refugee applications to its officials overseas says all previously scheduled travel of refugees to the US is being cancelled – and no new flights will be booked.
President Donald Trump on Monday suspended the Refugee Admissions Programme, which sees some 100,000 people fleeing war or persecution accepted into the US each year.
The cancellation is believed to include more than 1,600 Afghans whose assistance for the US military, as well as relatives of American soldiers, puts them at risk of retribution from the Taliban.
In his first term, Trump also put tight limits on refugee numbers, which were then reversed by Joe Biden.
This cancellation is not linked to the system for processing people seeking asylum who turn up at US land borders or make it into the country.
It mostly affects those who apply for refugee status with the United Nations in the country to which they have fled and go through a rigorous vetting process before they are accepted for travel third countries, including the US.
The State Department has not responded to a request for comment.
Asylum seekers, who had appointments made through the now-cancelled US Customs and Border Protection CBP One application, wait outside the National Institute of Migration (INM) office for information in Piedras Negras, Mexico
As we reported a little while ago, the State Department has cancelled refugee travel to the US and paused refugee processing after an executive order from Trump halting admissions into the US from 27 January.
Each year, the US welcomes thousands of refugees who may be facing persecution or other difficulties in their home countries for several reasons, including race, religion or political opinion, according to the US government. The number of arrivals ranges greatly from year to year.
For instance, the US allowed in 100,000 refugees last year, but only 25,000 in 2022. The number of new refugees fell consistently during Trump's first term beginning in 2017.
Refugees go through a months-long process that requires several steps including gathering evidence to support their claims.
Trump's new order halts all new refugee claims except certain cases approved directly by the secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security.
But the executive order does not address special immigrant visas, a programme for people who worked with the US military as translators in Iraq or Afghanistan.
That programme awards visas for up to 50 people each year.
US border agents have been instructed to summarily deport migrants crossing into the country illegally without allowing them to request asylum, according to an exclusive report from the BBC's US partner CBS News.
CBS cites internal government documents and agency officials.
The changes on asylum requests follow a number of executive orders and decrees Trump has signed during his first three days back in office to crack down on immigration.
Internal government documents indicate that nearly all migrants who arrive at the Texas-Mexico border would be subject to quick expulsion.
Two Customs and Border Protection officials, who requested anonymity to discuss internal guidance, told the news outlet that migrants would not be allowed to see an immigration judge or asylum officer following the change.
One official said Border Patrol agents were directed to swiftly deport migrant adults and families traveling with children, after taking biometrics and fingerprints, CBS reports, adding migrants who are not from Mexico will be detained pending deportation.
There will be some limited exceptions, CBS reports, again citing internal documents.Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
Just a few minutes ago, I left my desk in the basement of the White House's press area, seeking sunlight and a snack.
Upstairs in the briefing room, I ran into Fox News host Sean Hannity, who briefly spoke to a few reporters on his way out of the White House after his interview with President Trump – which is due to air at 2100 EST (02:00GMT).
Hannity told us that Trump is "focused" and "happy" as he begins his second term at the White House.
"He has a big agenda," he added. "He's dialled in."
"It was fun," Hannity said of the interview, before joking that he's excited about returning to his home in Florida after his visit to frigid Washington DC.
We've just seen a response by Russia's deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy to Donald Trump's threat earlier today of "taxes, tariffs and sanctions" on the country if it does not end the war in Ukraine.
Polyanskiy said the Kremlin would need to know what Trump wants in a deal to stop the war before the country moves forward.
"It's not merely the question of ending the war," Polyanskiy told Reuters.
"It's first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis."
He continued: "So we have to see what does the 'deal' mean in President Trump's understanding. He is not responsible for what the US has been doing in Ukraine since 2014, making it 'anti-Russia' and preparing for the war with us, but it is in his power now to stop this malicious policy."
For some background: Russia invaded and then annexed part of Ukraine, Crimea, in 2014. It then launched a full-scale invasion of the country in 2022.Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
Earlier in January – before Trump's inauguration – I spent several days in Texas' Hidalgo and Starr counties, both nestled along the US-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley.
There, many locals told me the day-to-day realities of living on the border increasingly opened their eyes to, what they described as, the dangers of illegal immigration.
I've been speaking to a few of them today – who tell me that they're extremely pleased with Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, his plans to deploy troops and declare cartels as terrorist groups.
Among them is David Porras, a rancher, farmer and botanist who lives in Rio Grande City.
David Porras says immigration and the border must be controlled
"We know what's going on down here – and now the tables have turned," he tells the BBC. "You've got to control it [the border]".
While Porras says he believes immigration is "essential" to the US economy, he adds that it needs to be done the "right way". Illegal migration, he says, "puts money into the coffers of the cartels" that control illicit activities at the border.
"Trump's headed in the right direction," he says. "It's got to be controlled."
Another Republican, Hidalgo County resident Demesio Guerrero – a naturalised citizen originally from Mexico – says Trump's return "is a once in a lifetime" event for those at the border.
"He's very brave," Guerrero tells me in Spanish. "In front of Biden, in front of the world he said that we would correct all the stupid, dumb things he's done down here. It's remarkable."
A US official has said that approximately 1,000 additional active-duty forces are preparing to go to the southern border,the BBC's US partner CBS reports.
This follows President Donald Trump's executive order authorising the US military to deploy as many units or members of the armed forces as needed to help the Department of Homeland Security obtain "complete operational control" of the border.
Trump declared a national emergency on Monday, saying that "America's sovereignty is under attack". This measure allows him to free up more funding to reinforce the border with Mexico.
You can read more on what President Trump has done since he took office on Monday.
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