This week’s federal policy round-up breaks down key developments in immigration, civil liberties, education, and public health; each update carries serious implications for our communities.
Data & Privacy
Federal Government Extends Deadline for Race & Ethnicity Data Reform, Including New MENA Category: The Office of Management and Budget announced a 6-month extension of the implementation deadline for SPD 15, the federal standards governing how race and ethnicity data are collected and reported. SPD 15’s 2024 revisions introduced several major changes, including a single combined race/ethnicity question and, notably, the addition of Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) as a minimum reporting category separate from “White.” Recognizing MENA as its own category matters: this change will improve the visibility, data quality, and policymaking relevance for MENA communities. To facilitate this transition, each federal agency and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must submit an Action Plan on Race and Ethnicity Data by March 28, 2026, detailing how they will bring their data collections into compliance with the new standards by September 28, 2029.
Universities Pressured to Limit Diversity and Share Foreign Student Data for Federal Funds: The Trump administration sent a memo to nine universities offering preferential access to federal funds in exchange for compliance with a 10-point “compact.” Schools are instructed to cap international enrollment, ban diversity in admissions and hiring, and share detailed foreign student data with the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. The compact threatens academic freedom and disproportionately impacts immigrant and marginalized students, especially those advocating for Palestinian rights.
Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration’s National Data Merging Efforts: A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday argues that the Trump administration’s aggregation of personal data across agencies violates privacy laws and the Constitution. The lawsuit argues that the Department of Homeland Security, along with the Department of Government Efficiency team, are creating ‘national data banks’—which the Privacy Act of 1974 was designed to prevent. The data system commonly known as SAVE has been transformed into a citizenship lookup tool, now used by states to check voter rolls. So far, more than 33 million voters have been ran through SAVE to check for non-citizenship— raising risks of wrongful disenfranchisement and surveillance.
Equal Protection
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Ends Oversight of Systemic Discrimination, Including AI Hiring Bias: The EEOC has stopped using the “disparate impact” standard, which held that policies or practices that are neutral on their face but disproportionately harm certain groups can be discriminatory. An internal memo ordered regional offices to close pending complaints by October 2, following a Trump executive order deprioritizing civil rights enforcement. In effect, this has ended investigations into employment practices that disproportionately harm protected groups. The change weakens federal oversight and allows employers to use biased tools—including AI hiring systems—with less accountability.
Administration Blocks Atlanta Airport Funds Over Equal Opportunity Rules: The Department of Transportation withheld $37.5 million in grants from Atlanta’s airport. It said the airport’s contractor requirements, designed to promote equal opportunity for minority- and women-owned businesses, are an impermissible “DEI program.” The move reflects a broader federal rollback of decades old anti-discrimination regulations ensuring tax-funded contracts include minority-owned business, raising national questions about whether infrastructure dollars can be tied to equity rules.
Supreme Court May Hear First Case on Birthright Citizenship Under Trump: The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to uphold an executive order denying citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents without lawful status. Lower courts blocked the order, noting that no court has ever questioned the 14th Amendment’s birthright guarantee. Adopted after the Civil War to bar the government from restricting citizenship by race, ancestry, or discretion, the clause is understood to make all people born on U.S. soil citizens by right. A Supreme Court review would be the first direct test, but the order rests on virtually no constitutional basis and would give presidents unprecedented power over citizenship.
Immigration & Due Process
U.S. to Deport Hundreds of Iranians, Raising Due Process and Safety Concerns: Iranian state officials report that the U.S. plans to deport up to 400 Iranians, with 120 removals expected in the coming days. While the U.S. has not confirmed the plan, the White House reaffirmed its aggressive deportation agenda. The move marks a sharp increase from previous years and may put vulnerable individuals at risk, raising serious concerns about due process, surveillance, and targeting of Iranian communities.
Court Protects Campus Advocates from Political Deportations: A U.S. District Court ruled that the Trump administration’s “ideological deportation” policy was unconstitutional in the final ruling of AAUP v. Rubio. The decision confirms that lawfully present noncitizens have full First Amendment protections and bars ICE from targeting individuals based on pro-Palestinian political speech.
Portland Deployment Highlights Expanding Use of Military in U.S. Cities: President Trump federalized 200 Oregon National Guard troops to guard immigration facilities in Portland—without the state’s consent. Unlike typical National Guard missions, which are requested by governors for emergencies like natural disasters, this deployment was initiated solely by federal authorities. This move blurs the line between military and civilian authority and sets a dangerous precedent for using armed forces to police political dissent.
Economic Policy & Public Health
Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Attempt to Remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook: The Supreme Court temporarily halted President Trump’s attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, a firing lower courts had already struck down for lack of cause and due process. Unlike recent decisions that permitted Trump to oust leaders of other independent agencies, such as at the Federal Trade Commission, the Court chose to maintain Cook’s role through at least January 2026 while litigation continues, citing the need to avoid disruption. The move underscores the unsettled question of presidential authority over independent regulators and helps preserve the Fed’s independence at a critical moment for financial stability.
Pfizer Agrees to Offer Discounted Drugs Through Trump’s “TrumpRx” Portal: On September 30, President Trump announced that Pfizer will sell some prescription drugs and offer its Medicaid-sold drugs at lower “most favored nation” pricing at steep discounts through a new government-run website, TrumpRx. The administration claims savings of up to 100%, but no full drug list, pricing terms, or insurance details have been released. While uninsured patients may benefit most, uncertainty around implementation, tariffs, and access to imported medications raises broader concerns.
Trump Administration Reinstates School Mental Health Grants with Narrow Scope: The administration relaunched two school mental health grant programs it previously withdrew, now limited to funding school psychologists only. Excluding counselors and social workers raises equity concerns, especially in underfunded districts, and signals a shift toward targeted rather than holistic mental health strategies.
Government Shutdown Begins After Funding Bill Fails: At 12:01 a.m. on October 1, the Federal Government entered a shutdown after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. The deadlock centers on the Affordable Care Act premium tax credit, a federal subsidy that lowers the monthly health insurance costs of millions of working-class Americans, and proposed Medicaid cuts. This subsidy plays a critical role in making marketplace coverage affordable for families. It works on a sliding scale based on family income, the less you earn the more help you receive. If enhanced premium tax credits expire, struggling families could see out of pocket premiums increase or lose coverage altogether – please click HERE to see how much it could increase for you or your family. While essential services like Social Security and Medicare continue while the government is shut down, delays and staffing gaps may impact access. Roughly 750,000 federal workers face furloughs or unpaid work, underscoring the economic and operational strain, and the administration has threatened to retaliate by firing workers at what it calls “Democratic agencies.”