A Deeper Look at Prayer for the French Republic.
Below, we’ve collected a list of events that occurred either in 1940s France or in modern-day America. Check out our list and see if you can spot the differences between the world we live in today and the world the Salomon family was navigating in Prayer for the French Republic.
Certain groups are forced to register with the government and/or police authorities.
When did it happen: Then and now
In 1940, the collaborationist government in Vichy conducted a police census that required Jews to declare themselves and submit identifying information such as name, address, profession, and country of origin. This census was later used to facilitate deportations and transfer ownership of Jewish-owned businesses to non-Jews.
On January 20th, 2025, the president issued an executive order requiring all undocumented immigrants aged 14 or older to register their name, address, and fingerprint with the government. The order requires that undocumented immigrants must carry proof of registration with them at all times, and failure to do so could lead to imprisonment and/or fines of up to $5000.
Learn More:
US Gov. Alien Registration Requirement
A law is passed banning groups from certain professions, including education, media, and military sectors.
When did it happen: Then and now
In October of 1940, the Vichy government passed the first Jewish Status Law, which clearly defined who was Jewish and banned Jews from civil and military service, along with certain roles in education, media, and cinema. A second Jewish Status law was passed in December of 1941, expanding the restrictions in unoccupied France, prohibiting trading and banking.
While the U.S. government has not enacted specific legislation banning groups from certain professions, policies enacted by the current administration restrict opportunities for employment of undocumented immigrants and further economic exclusion of immigrant groups. On January 20, 2025, the president issued an executive order mandating the enforcement of increased audits and fines for employers that “facilitate the presence” of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Additionally, on March 25th, 2025, the DHS announced the termination of categorical parole programs for certain ‘immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV), revoking employment authorization for individuals from these countries.
The U.S. government has also taken steps to ban another group from certain professions: transgender Americans. An executive order was issued in January 2025 by President Trump aiming to ban transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military, both for new enlistments and continuing service. All military officers who had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria were asked to identify themselves and resign. Three separate judges have since blocked the enforcement of this order, and it is currently making its way through the legal system. Human Rights Campaign Legal Vice President, Sarah Warbelow, states that “this ban on transgender people serving in the military is not only un-American, it’s unconstitutional.”
Though official laws have not been passed banning LGBT teachers from the world of education, multiple states have taken steps to ban any literature from schools that may be considered “LGBT”. Recently, a teacher was fired from her position in Florida for using a transgender student’s name in class, rather than their government name. Steps are being taken nationwide to systematically remove LGBT identities from American classrooms.
Learn More:
Termination of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans
Protecting The American People Against Invasion
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Transgender Military Service Ban
Florida teacher placed on leave for calling student by preferred name
All the ways Trump wants to exclude trans people from public life
The government takes action to revoke the citizenship rights of thousands of citizens.
When did it happen: Then and now
In 1940, the Vichy regime enacted legislation revoking the citizenship rights of about 15,000 citizens, specifically targeting Jews who had become citizens after 1927.
In January of 2025, the White House released an executive order aiming to end automatic birthright citizenship for people born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents without permanent legal status. The executive order was immediately met with legal opposition and has since been halted by federal courts.
Learn More:
Denaturalized- How Thousands Lost Their Citizenship and Lives in Vichy France
When Nations Unmake Citizens: A History of Denaturalization
The White House- Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship
Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
Declaration of National Emergency to enable increased border security.
When did it happen: Now
On January 22nd, 2025, the White House released an executive order invoking the National Emergencies Act at the Southern border of the United States. This order enabled the deployment of additional personnel to the Southern border, as well as directed the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to finish the wall along the southern border, and allowed the DHS flexibility to operate air missions near the border.
The Vichy regime enacted emergency law through the French Constitutional Law of 1940, granting full power to Marshal Philippe Peitán and dissolving the Third Republic of France. While not aimed at border security specifically, this use of emergency law allowed for internal political reorganization that enabled future suppression of civil liberties and persecution of specific groups, especially Jews.
Learn More:
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Declares a National Emergency at the Southern Border
The White House- Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States
Vichy France: Constitutional Act No. 2
Use of internment and detention camps to detain certain groups prior to deportation.
When did it happen: Then and now
During the Vichy regime, internment camps such as Gurs, Drancy, and Pithiviers were used to detain thousands of people–first foreign Jews and other groups deemed “citizens of enemy powers”, then French Jews in addition. Later on, these camps were primarily used as waiting rooms for Jews being deported to Concentration and Death Camps. Of the 76,000 Jews deported from France, only about 2,500 survived.
On January 29th, 2025, The U.S. President signed The Laken Riley Act–his first piece of legislation since beginning his second term–which mandated the federal detention of undocumented immigrants accused of even minor crimes, such as shoplifting.The same day, the White House released an executive order directing the DHS to expand the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Full Capacity, creating 30,000 beds to detain “high priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States.”
Learn More:
The Holocaust Encyclopedia- Gurs
L’internement : La France des camps (1938-1946)
Trump to Build Mass Detention Camp for Deportees at Guantanamo Bay
Trump Administration Aims to Spend $45 Billion to Expand Immigrant Detention
