--- title: Anne Frank Center: Trump Is Driving U.S. Off 'Moral Cliff' description: Steven Goldstein, the executive director of the Anne Frank Center, shares intense criticisms of President Donald Trump's executive orders. canonical: https://time.com/4650779/donald-trump-executive-orders-anne-frank-center/ author: Abigail Abrams article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-26T20:08:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:12.494Z article:section: Politics og:title: Anne Frank Center Says Donald Trump Is Driving the U.S. 'Off a Moral Cliff' og:description: After Trump signs executive orders og:url: https://time.com/4650779/donald-trump-executive-orders-anne-frank-center/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9ff76e1191f13a9f/6988b778f887dc5aafe98d61/anne-frank-world-war-ii-museum-donald-trump-critic-refugees.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5144 og:image:height: 2894 og:image:alt: Anne Frank, German Jew who emigrated with her family to the Netherlands during the Nazi period. Separated from the rest of her family, she and her sister died of typhoid fever in the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen - Portrait with hadwritten comme og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Anne Frank Center Says Donald Trump Is Driving the U.S. 'Off a Moral Cliff' twitter:description: After Trump signs executive orders twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9ff76e1191f13a9f/6988b778f887dc5aafe98d61/anne-frank-world-war-ii-museum-donald-trump-critic-refugees.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 01:06 video:published: 2017-01-25 section: politics topics: border control, immigration, border wall, homeland security, executive action, U.S.-Mexico border genre: news, political address tones: assertive, formal, declarative emotions: determination (medium), pride (low) sentiment: neutral audience: general news audiences, policy observers, voters interested in immigration people: Donald Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security organizations: U.S. Department of Homeland Security content_suitability: politics [00:00-01:06] transcript_source: automatic transcription transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Anne Frank Center Says Donald Trump Is Driving the U.S. 'Off a Moral Cliff' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=52cda844-227f-4d23-8aef-e6ac636eae7c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=52cda844-227f-4d23-8aef-e6ac636eae7c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=52cda844-227f-4d23-8aef-e6ac636eae7c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=52cda844-227f-4d23-8aef-e6ac636eae7c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: What to Know About President Trump's Immigration Orders [Watch (HLS stream): What to Know About President Trump's Immigration Orders](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pGFFV8Yk.m3u8) (1:06)  _Published 2017-01-25. President Donald Trump green-lighted construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico he repeatedly called for while campaigning via an executive action._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary The video presents remarks about U.S. border control and immigration policy. A speaker says the United States is regaining control of its borders and states that construction of a border wall will begin immediately. A second speaker, identified as the Secretary of Homeland Security, is shown referring to himself and his staff in relation to the work. The clip is brief and contains only these statements. ## Key points - The speaker says that beginning today, the United States gets back control of its borders. (00:00) - The speaker says the United States gets back its borders. (00:00) - The speaker states that immediate construction of a border wall will begin. (00:22) - A speaker identifies himself as the Secretary of Homeland Security. (00:17) - The Secretary of Homeland Security says he is working with himself and his staff. (00:17) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:17] Border control announcement. A speaker says the United States is regaining control of its borders beginning today. - [00:17 to 01:06] Border wall construction plans. A Homeland Security official describes his role and announces that border wall construction will begin immediately. ## Key quotes - [00:00] speaker: "Beginning today, the United States of America gets back control of its borders, gets back its borders." - [00:17] Secretary of Homeland Security: "I'm the Secretary of Homeland Security, working with myself and my staff." - [00:22] speaker: "We'll begin immediate construction of a border wall." ## Questions this video answers - What does the speaker say the United States is regaining? [00:00] - What construction project does the speaker announce? [00:22] - When does the speaker say construction will begin? [00:22] - What is the title of the official speaking in the video? [00:17] ## Content suitability - politics [00:00-01:06]: Discusses immigration policy and border wall construction, a politically contested topic. by [Abigail Abrams](https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/) ## Abigail Abrams Jan 26, 2017 8:08 PM UTC  Anne Frank, a German Jew who emigrated with her family to the Netherlands during the Nazi period. Separated from the rest of her family, she and her sister died of typhoid fever in the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen. Anne Frank, a German Jew who emigrated with her family to the Netherlands during the Nazi period. Separated from the rest of her family, she and her sister died of typhoid fever in the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen. ullstein bild—ullstein bild/Getty Images by [Abigail Abrams](https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/) ## Abigail Abrams Jan 26, 2017 8:08 PM UTC President Donald Trump’s [executive orders](http://time.com/4648516/donald-trump-immigration-executive-orders/?iid=sr-link1) concerning U.S. immigration policy and refugees have prompted intense criticism from the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, the U.S.-based partner of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. The center’s executive director, Steven Goldstein, wrote a long [post on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/AnneFrankCenterforMutualRespect/posts/10155065271124040) on Wednesday, saying Trump “is beyond the wrong side of history” and warned that he is “driving our nation off a moral cliff.” “Donald Trump is retracting the promise of American freedom to an extent we have not seen from a President since Franklin Roosevelt forced Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II,” Goldstein wrote. “Today the Statue of Liberty weeps over President Trump’s discrimination.” The organization has also posted heated messages from its Twitter account. > [](https://twitter.com/AnneFrankCenter/status/824436577195663365) Trump on Wednesday signed an [executive order](http://time.com/4648516/donald-trump-immigration-executive-orders/?iid=sr-link1) that calls for the immediate construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and for new aggressive actions to find and deport undocumented immigrants. The [_New York Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/us/politics/refugees-immigrants-wall-trump.html)published another draft executive order to indefinitely stop Syrian refugees from entering the United States and ban all refugees from any country for at least 120 days. Anne Frank’s father, Otto, [founded](http://annefrank.com/about-the-center/) the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect in 1959\. During World War II, the Frank family spent two years hiding in a secret annex in Amsterdam before they were found and sent to a concentration camp. Otto Frank was the only member of his family to survive, and after he arranged for his daughter’s diary to be published as _Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl_, it became of the best-known accounts of Jewish life during the Nazi era. American University professor Richard Breitman has written about documents that showed the Franks tried to obtain visas to flee to America in 1941, according to the [Washington _Post_](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/26/a-charity-set-up-by-anne-franks-father-has-become-a-fierce-critic-of-trumps-plans-for-refugees/?utm%5Fterm=.2ab173cdf592), but the family was unsuccessful due to U.S. immigration policies. ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] So we [00:04] have to do [00:08] something about illegal immigration cuz [00:15] our country is [00:35] being decimated. [00:40] [ MUSIC ] [00:43] [ SOUND ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4650779/donald-trump-executive-orders-anne-frank-center/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4650779/donald-trump-executive-orders-anne-frank-center/"},"headline":"Anne Frank Center Says Donald Trump Is Driving the U.S. 'Off a Moral Cliff'","datePublished":"2017-01-26T20:08:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:49:12.494Z","description":"After Trump signs executive orders","url":"https://time.com/4650779/donald-trump-executive-orders-anne-frank-center/","keywords":["Donald Trump","Refugees","Immigration","Syrian refugees","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9ff76e1191f13a9f/6988b778f887dc5aafe98d61/anne-frank-world-war-ii-museum-donald-trump-critic-refugees.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Abigail Abrams","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9ff76e1191f13a9f/6988b778f887dc5aafe98d61/anne-frank-world-war-ii-museum-donald-trump-critic-refugees.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Anne Frank, German Jew who emigrated with her family to the Netherlands during the Nazi period. Separated from the rest of her family, she and her sister died of typhoid fever in the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen - Portrait with hadwritten comme","caption":"Anne Frank, German Jew who emigrated with her family to the Netherlands during the Nazi period. Separated from the rest of her family, she and her sister died of typhoid fever in the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen - Portrait with hadwritten comme","creditText":"ullstein bild—ullstein bild/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4650779/donald-trump-executive-orders-anne-frank-center/","name":"Anne Frank Center Says Donald Trump Is Driving the U.S. 'Off a Moral Cliff'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"What to Know About President Trump's Immigration Orders","description":"President Donald Trump green-lighted construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico he repeatedly called for while campaigning via an executive action.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/pGFFV8Yk/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-01-25T15:56:15.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pGFFV8Yk.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4650779/donald-trump-executive-orders-anne-frank-center/","duration":"PT1M6S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4650779/donald-trump-executive-orders-anne-frank-center/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```