Executive Order Update: May 22, 2026
This week’s federal policy round-up covers government accountability, voting rights, immigration, and public health and the impact on our communities. From a DOJ settlement shielding the president from more than $100 million in tax liability to an expansion of refugee admissions reserved for white South Africans, this week’s developments reflect the continued expansion of executive control over federal spending, legal accountability, and public protections. Stay informed and learn more on our website. DOJ Creates $1.8 Billion Fund While Shielding Trump Family and Companies from IRS Claims On Monday, the Department of Justice announced a taxpayer funded $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who claim they were unjustly investigated or prosecuted under the previous administration, part of a settlement resolving President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over a leak of his tax returns. The settlement also bars the IRS from pursuing any audit or claim, pending or potential, against Trump, his family, and his companies on returns filed before the agreement. That waiver most likely ends a long-running audit of a $72.9 million refund Trump claimed on his 2005 to 2008 income, which The New York Times has estimated could have cost him more than $100 million. Because eligibility for the fund is undefined, an executive-run commission can direct taxpayer money to the president’s political allies, potentially including people convicted over January 6, on matters unrelated to the IRS suit. Trump controls the departments that created and administer the fund, so he can steer federal payments to his own allies while the same settlement clears his personal tax liability. The arrangement also shifts powers the Constitution places elsewhere to the executive: deciding who is compensated, a judicial role, and spending public money, powers held by Congress. It has drawn immediate legal challenges, including a motion to block it from nearly 100 House Democrats and a suit by two Capitol Police officers opposing any payment to January 6 rioters. Judge Orders Preservation of White House Text Messages, Blocks Guidance Narrowing Federal Recordkeeping Rules A federal district court ordered the Trump administration to preserve presidential records, including text messages and electronic communications from senior White House officials, and blocked guidance asserting the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional. It rejected the administration’s argument that the presidential records are the president’s private property and that text messages did not need to be preserved unless they were the sole record of an official decision. Instead, it found that Congress validly enacted the law to ensure records documenting official government activities are preserved for historical and public accountability purposes. The order applies to White House staff and senior advisers but not directly to the president himself. This decision reinforces a post-Watergate transparency law and could shape how future administrations handle communications conducted through digital platforms. Supreme Court Sends Voting Rights Act Cases Back to Lower Courts After Recent Redistricting Ruling The Supreme Court ordered lower courts to reconsider two Voting Rights Act (VRA) cases, one involving Native American tribes challenging North Dakota’s […]
التحديث الأسبوعي للأوامر التنفيذية: 10 أبريل 2027
التحديث الأسبوعي للأوامر التنفيذية: 3 أبريل 2026 شهد هذا الأسبوع مجموعة من التطورات المتعلقة بالإجراءات التنفيذية والسياسات الفيدرالية المؤثرة على المجتمعات المحلية. تواصل المؤسسات المجتمعية متابعة هذه التغييرات وتحليل آثارها المحتملة على الخدمات والحقوق المدنية. كما يتم العمل على توفير موارد ومعلومات تساعد الأفراد والمنظمات على فهم المستجدات بشكل أوضح. وتشمل هذه الجهود تحديثات دورية، وتحليلات مختصرة، وفرصًا للمشاركة المدنية والمناصرة المجتمعية. للحصول على المزيد من التحديثات والأخبار، يمكنكم الاشتراك في قائمتنا البريدية ومتابعة الإصدارات الأسبوعية. التحديث الأسبوعي للأوامر التنفيذية: 3 أبريل 2026 شهد هذا الأسبوع مجموعة من التطورات المتعلقة بالإجراءات التنفيذية والسياسات الفيدرالية المؤثرة على المجتمعات المحلية. تواصل المؤسسات المجتمعية متابعة هذه التغييرات وتحليل آثارها المحتملة على الخدمات والحقوق المدنية. كما يتم العمل على توفير موارد ومعلومات تساعد الأفراد والمنظمات على فهم المستجدات بشكل أوضح. وتشمل هذه الجهود تحديثات دورية، وتحليلات مختصرة، وفرصًا للمشاركة المدنية والمناصرة المجتمعية. للحصول على المزيد من التحديثات والأخبار، يمكنكم الاشتراك في قائمتنا البريدية ومتابعة الإصدارات الأسبوعية. التحديث الأسبوعي للأوامر التنفيذية: 3 أبريل 2026 شهد هذا الأسبوع مجموعة من التطورات المتعلقة بالإجراءات التنفيذية والسياسات الفيدرالية المؤثرة على المجتمعات المحلية. تواصل المؤسسات المجتمعية متابعة هذه التغييرات وتحليل آثارها المحتملة على الخدمات والحقوق المدنية. كما يتم العمل على توفير موارد ومعلومات تساعد الأفراد والمنظمات على فهم المستجدات بشكل أوضح. وتشمل هذه الجهود تحديثات دورية، وتحليلات مختصرة، وفرصًا للمشاركة المدنية والمناصرة المجتمعية. للحصول على المزيد من التحديثات والأخبار، يمكنكم الاشتراك في قائمتنا البريدية ومتابعة الإصدارات الأسبوعية. التحديث الأسبوعي للأوامر التنفيذية: 3 أبريل 2026 شهد هذا الأسبوع مجموعة من التطورات المتعلقة بالإجراءات التنفيذية والسياسات الفيدرالية المؤثرة على المجتمعات المحلية. تواصل المؤسسات المجتمعية متابعة هذه التغييرات وتحليل آثارها المحتملة على الخدمات والحقوق المدنية. كما يتم العمل على توفير موارد ومعلومات تساعد الأفراد والمنظمات على فهم المستجدات بشكل أوضح. وتشمل هذه الجهود تحديثات دورية، وتحليلات مختصرة، وفرصًا للمشاركة المدنية والمناصرة المجتمعية. للحصول على المزيد من التحديثات والأخبار، يمكنكم الاشتراك في قائمتنا البريدية ومتابعة الإصدارات الأسبوعية. التحديث الأسبوعي للأوامر التنفيذية: 3 أبريل 2026 شهد هذا الأسبوع مجموعة من التطورات المتعلقة بالإجراءات التنفيذية والسياسات الفيدرالية المؤثرة على المجتمعات المحلية. تواصل المؤسسات المجتمعية متابعة هذه التغييرات وتحليل آثارها المحتملة على الخدمات والحقوق المدنية. كما يتم العمل على توفير موارد ومعلومات تساعد الأفراد والمنظمات على فهم المستجدات بشكل أوضح. وتشمل هذه الجهود تحديثات دورية، وتحليلات مختصرة، وفرصًا للمشاركة المدنية والمناصرة المجتمعية. للحصول على المزيد من التحديثات والأخبار، يمكنكم الاشتراك في قائمتنا البريدية ومتابعة الإصدارات الأسبوعية.
Executive Order Update: April 2, 2026
This week’s federal policy round-up covers consequential developments across voting rights, immigration, civil liberties, and federal data policy, as courts continue to push back on executive actions and communities navigate a rapidly shifting legal landscape. We are sending this week’s newsletter today in observance of Good Friday tomorrow. Stay informed and learn more on our website. Executive Order Attempts to Expand Federal Control Over Voter Eligibility and Restrict Mail Voting An executive order signed by President Donald Trump on March 31 directs federal agencies to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration using federal forms, even though federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting. The order also directs federal agencies to compile a national “citizenship list” using existing government records and share it with states to determine eligible voters. It further seeks to restrict mail-in voting by directing the U.S. Postal Service to send mail-in and absentee ballots only to individuals on that list and by prioritizing enforcement against officials who provide ballots to ineligible voters. Lastly, the order also ties certain federal election funding to whether states adopt these measures. The order is likely to face legal challenges because the U.S. Constitution gives states primary authority over elections unless Congress intervenes. Courts have previously blocked a similar effort through an executive order. A federal citizenship database would likely be incomplete and error-prone, increasing the risk that eligible voters are denied registration or ballots. Similar state voter purge attempts have mainly impacted naturalized citizens, low-income voters, seniors, and individuals with limited access to documentation. And similar mail-in voting restrictions have disproportionately impacted rural voters, military members, and voters with disabilities. The measures may also reinforce inaccurate claims about disproven voter fraud while creating new barriers that increase the risk of voter disenfranchisement. OMB Delays Implementation of Updated Federal Race and Ethnicity Data Standards On March 27, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget announced a one-year extension for federal agencies to submit Action Plans under Statistical Policy Directive No. 15, pushing the deadline to March 28, 2027. These Action Plans on race and ethnicity data are mandatory roadmaps that each federal agency must create to show exactly how they will align their data collection with new SPD 15 standards. The deadline had previously been extended from September 28, 2025 to March 28, 2026. The updated directive, finalized in 2024, requires agencies to revise how they collect and report race and ethnicity data, including adding a Middle Eastern or North African category and combining race and ethnicity questions. The latest delay comes as the administration reviews the 2024 revisions and how new categories were adopted. The delay slows implementation across agencies and creates uncertainty about whether key changes, including the Middle Eastern or North African category, will be fully implemented or modified. This may prolong gaps in federal data collection for communities that have historically been undercounted, limiting visibility in areas such as public health, funding, and civil rights enforcement. It may also disrupt agency timelines for aligning data systems ahead of the 2030 Census, signaling a potential shift in federal data policy priorities. Birthright Citizenship Remains in Place as Supreme Court Hears Arguments The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday on an executive order issued by President Trump that seeks to limit birthright citizenship, but the longstanding rule […]
NNAAC Statement on the Administration’s Revived and Expanded Travel Ban
The National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) strongly opposes the reinstatement of the Travel Ban, as introduced through the June 4 Presidential Proclamation. Set to take effect on Monday, June 9, 2025, this alarming policy reintroduces the discriminatory framework of the original ‘Muslim Travel Ban’ – Executive Order 13769, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” issued in 2017 by President Donald Trump and repealed in 2021 after widespread legal and public backlash. While framed as a national security measure, the reality is far more troubling. The policy restricts travel from 19 countries, many of which are Arab, Muslim-majority, or home to Black and Brown communities. By targeting entire nations rather than evaluating individuals based on credible evidence, the ban unjustly punishes millions of people simply because of where they were born and carries far-reaching consequences that ultimately undermine the prosperity and well-being of all Americans. NNAAC calls for the immediate reversal of this proclamation and urges communities, lawmakers, and the courts to act swiftly to reject this harmful and unnecessary policy. Full travel bans apply to: Afghanistan Burma (Myanmar) Chad Republic of the Congo Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Haiti Iran Libya Somalia Sudan Yemen Partial restrictions apply to: Burundi Cuba Laos Sierra Leone Togo Turkmenistan Venezuela The policy also singles out Egypt for further scrutiny and includes a review mechanism every 90 to 180 days, allowing for countries to be added or removed at any time. This creates ongoing uncertainty for immigrant communities and their families. There is no evidence that blanket travel bans improve national security. A 2020 Cato Institute study found that no individuals from the originally banned countries were responsible for a single deadly terrorist attack on U.S. soil between 1975 and 2017. The previous ‘Muslim Travel Ban’ caused chaos at airports, traumatized families, stoked Islamophobia, and damaged America’s reputation globally. Its impact still reverberates today. Arab and MENA communities across the U.S. continue to face the psychological and material consequences of that policy. Read more from the Center for Arab Narratives. If implemented, this renewed ban would do the same. It would separate families, halt educational and employment opportunities, and punish innocent people simply because of where they are from. It will also directly impact millions of American citizens with ties to these countries, many of whom will be blocked from reuniting with loved ones, sponsoring relatives, or traveling freely. But the consequences go beyond personal hardship. This ban, along with mounting attacks on international students, ideological screenings in visa processes, and exclusionary immigration policies, sends a chilling message that the United States is closing its doors to global talent, collaboration, and exchange. The ripple effects will be felt across society, from universities and research labs to hospitals, tech firms, and local economies. They will undermine innovation, workforce development, and even the future of healthcare and scientific advancement. This hurts every American, regardless of their background. Exemptions (Per the Proclamation): Lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders) Individuals with visas issued before […]
NNAAC Commits to “Build and Block” Strategy to Strengthen Social Safety Net and Confront Policies Harmful to Vulnerable Americans
The National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC), an institution of ACCESS, is focusing their 2025 “Build and Block” strategy to address policies that threaten the social safety net and demonize communities. The building work is spearheaded by NNAAC along with its members and allies around the nation. The efforts are aimed at strengthening and improving access to the social safety net, namely health care, education and other public programs geared towards helping individuals and families get out of poverty and become more self-sufficient. The blocking action is focused on safety net protection – monitoring and addressing efforts to cut Medicaid, education, food assistance and other programs. In addition, NNAAC is working with allies across communities to push back on political fearmongering around immigration and to ‘take on hate’. “With 36 members in 13 states, NNAAC has the national reach and local depth to help protect democracy for all Americans and block policies that are harmful to the most vulnerable communities,” said NNAAC Director Rima Meroueh. “No matter who you voted for in November, you don’t deserve to have your federal benefits cut, your community demonized, and your ancestry scapegoated.” The Social Safety Net President Trump tapped Elon Musk to lead a task force dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with a mandate to cut costs across the federal government. Musk declared a $2 trillion reduction target of the federal budget for DOGE which would have a massive impact on mandatory spending programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, federal aid for public schools, public housing and rental aid. While working to protect the safety net from potential cuts, NNAAC is also using data to strengthen it. In 2024, after years of coalition work, NNAAC and allies successfully persuaded the Biden administration to make “Middle Eastern or North African (MENA)” an option on federal questionnaires about the race and ethnicity of Americans. Prior to this historic change, anyone with roots in the MENA region had to identify themselves as White, a requirement that adversely affected federal benefit calculations for both MENA and White Americans. In 2025, NNAAC and its members will keep working with policymakers at all levels of government – including in Lansing, Michigan, and other state capitals — to utilize more detailed data in the design and implementation of more effective public programs. Fearmongering and Demonizing Communities Shortly after taking office, Trump ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct raids in major U.S. cities in support of his campaign promise to rid the nation of undocumented immigrants. The policies are often justified with divisive language, bigoted rhetoric and misinformation. In the first weeks of the new administration, thousands of people were detained. Being undocumented is considered a civil offense, not a crime and these sweeps are wreaking havoc on Latino communities especially, disrupting life, creating chaos and separating families. Additionally, one of Trump’s dozens of executive orders setup a 60-day window for top state, justice, intelligence, and homeland security officials to identify countries whose vetting and […]
SNAP Timeline
Thursday, January 19, 2023 Bill called the “The Social Welfare Act” introduced in the senate Sponsored by Senators: Erika GEISS (D-1)Sylvia SANTANA (D-2)Stephanie CHANG (D-3)Dayna POLEHANKI (D-5)Mary CAVANAGH (D-6)Jeremy MOSS (D-7)Mallory MCMORROW (D-8)Paul WOJNO (D-10)Veronica KLINEFELT (D-11)Rosemary BAYER (D-13)Sue SHINK (D-14)Jeff IRWIN (D-15)Joseph BELLINO (R-16)Sean MCCANN (D-19)Sarah ANTHONY (D-21)Sam SINGH (D-28)John DAMOOSE (R-37) Thursday, January 19, 2023 Thursday, January 19, 2023 Bill referred The Bill was been referred to the Committee on Housing and Human Services. Thursday, January 19, 2023 Wednesday, March 1, 2023 Committee on Housing and Human Services The Committee on Housing and Human Services reported Senate Bill No. 35, entitled A bill to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled “The social welfare act,” by amending section 10d (MCL 400.10d), as added by 2012 PA 79. With the recommendation that the bill pass. The committee further recommends that the bill be given immediate effect. The bill was then referred to the Committee of the Whole, who reported favorably without amendment. The Committee recommended the bill be given immediate effect. Wednesday, March 1, 2023 Thursday, March 9, 2023 Bill Sent to the Senate Floor PASSED ROLL CALL # 51 YEAS 25 NAYS 13 EXCUSED 0 NOT VOTING 0 Referred to Committee on Economic Development and Small Business Thursday, March 9, 2023 Thursday, March 9, 2023 Testified before the Committee on Economic Development and Small Business Senator Jeff Irwin (D-15), ACCESS, ABISA, MLPP, American Heart Association Thursday, March 9, 2023 Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Bill Passed in the House Bill was passed with immediate effect in the House Roll Call # 172 Yeas 56 Nays 53 Excused 0 Not Voting 1. When the bill passed out of House Committee, a comprehensive SNAP toolkit was sent to all of the subgrantees to initiate a social media campaign. We used all social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The toolkit various posts and one pager translated into Arabic. We also created a Phone2Action that targeted all (100+) MI House members so that they would vote in favor of the bill. Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Bill Sent Back to the Senate Bill was sent back to Senate to vote on immediate effect, it was defeated. This means that the bill was not passed through bipartisan support and would not take immediate effect when it is signed by the governor. Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Thursday, July 6, 2023 Bill Presented to Governor Gretchen Whitmer Thursday, July 6, 2023 Tuesday, July 11, 2023 Bill Signed into Law Tuesday, July 11, 2023 Wednesday, July 12, 2023 Bill Filed with the Secretary of State Wednesday, July 12, 2023 Tuesday, November 19, 2023 End of Legislative Year The end of the Michigan 2023 legislative year, as both the Democratic-led House and Senate adjourned sine die at noon. Tuesday, November 19, 2023 Senate Bill 35 will go into effect on the 91st day after the Michigan Legislature adjourns its final session of 2023.
Publications Post Test
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur pharetra nulla eu vestibulum mattis. Maecenas malesuada hendrerit scelerisque. Curabitur mattis dapibus neque, condimentum molestie orci pharetra ut. Integer nec ex tortor. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nulla ac odio semper, mollis magna ut, cursus ante. Aliquam erat volutpat. Donec nec lacinia enim. Nam at mollis massa. Curabitur quam leo, lacinia sed maximus porttitor, lacinia at mi. Pellentesque tempus orci bibendum volutpat ultrices. In cursus turpis quis volutpat scelerisque. Integer vitae tincidunt velit, quis consectetur quam. Donec aliquet volutpat lorem at vestibulum. Proin tempus finibus elit. Fusce laoreet tellus libero, nec elementum massa vulputate in. In eget imperdiet eros, nec consectetur massa. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Etiam id nulla in urna vehicula hendrerit quis a urna. Nunc elementum ac dolor ac facilisis. Phasellus lectus eros, blandit ut malesuada id, rutrum id tellus. In auctor justo sit amet varius elementum. In faucibus turpis nec neque tristique, vel bibendum tellus dignissim. Vivamus scelerisque velit purus, sit amet maximus ante elementum at. Curabitur libero dui, finibus ac nulla ac, pellentesque facilisis leo. Aliquam iaculis at magna in condimentum. Cras cursus vitae orci id gravida. Praesent a lectus est. Phasellus pretium imperdiet volutpat. Sed suscipit pulvinar sem, ac finibus velit posuere non. Curabitur viverra lacus libero, id varius mi vehicula ac. Cras convallis hendrerit nunc vulputate eleifend. Duis id velit vel augue imperdiet lacinia. Aenean efficitur sapien sem, quis elementum eros vulputate sed. Maecenas iaculis lectus ut velit venenatis blandit. Etiam semper diam sed nibh convallis porttitor. Proin pellentesque sit amet libero id fermentum. Nullam posuere felis molestie eros malesuada dapibus. Nullam commodo venenatis faucibus. Maecenas pharetra feugiat diam at ultrices. Nulla sed elementum dui, eget eleifend urna. Sed pharetra diam dolor, vel malesuada mi dapibus eu.