Executive Orders and Actions Updates

• In April 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a significant restructuring of NIOSH, resulting in the termination of approximately 870 out of 1,300 employees—about two-thirds of its workforce. Those layoffs are already leading to significant impacts, that will only become more impactful with time. The administration has stated that many of NIOSH’s functions will be integrated into a newly proposed entity, the Administration for a Healthy America; however, no details have been provided.  

• Work safety: The reduction in NIOSH’s capacity jeopardizes the safety of workers across various sectors, including healthcare, construction, mining, and emergency services. The agency’s role in researching occupational hazards and developing safety standards is significantly diminished. 

• Suspension of Health Monitoring Programs: Programs such as the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program, which provided free health screenings for coal miners, have been halted. This cessation affects early detection and prevention efforts for diseases like black lung.  

• Disruption in PPE Certification: The shutdown of the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory stalls the approval process for personal protective equipment, potentially leading to shortages and reliance on uncertified gear, thereby compromising worker safety.  

• Impact on Firefighter Health Initiatives: The National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, aimed at understanding and mitigating cancer risks among firefighters, has been discontinued, hindering research and preventive measures in this high-risk group. 

 

• The order mandates the CPB to halt all direct and indirect federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). This includes revising the 2025 Community Service Grants criteria to prevent any federal funds from supporting these entities.  

• All federal agencies are instructed to identify and terminate any existing grants, contracts, or funding instruments with NPR and PBS, ensuring compliance with the new directive.  

•  The Secretary of Health and Human Services is tasked with determining whether NPR and PBS are complying with applicable laws and the terms of their funding instruments, potentially leading to further actions if noncompliance is found.  

• NPR and PBS stations rely on CPB funding for approximately 10% and 15% of their budgets, respectively. The cessation of federal funds could impact their operations, especially for local stations that depend more heavily on this support. 

• In response to the order, the Department of Education has terminated the $23 million Ready To Learn grant program, which funded educational children’s programming on PBS, such as Molly of Denali and Work It Out Wombats!. The Department cited concerns over the use of funds for “racial justice educational programming” and labeled such content as “woke propaganda.” This immediate cessation affects educational content in numerous urban and rural communities, jeopardizing early childhood educational programming nationwide. 

• More than 250 of the DOJ Civil Rights Division’s roughly 365 attorneys have departed since early 2025, leaving about 100 remaining and dramatically reducing the division’s enforcement capacity. 

• The reorganization follows the appointment of Harmeet Dhillon as division head, who revised the division’s mission to emphasize investigations into voter fraud, alleged anti-Christian or anti-white discrimination, and restrictions on transgender participation in school athletics. 

• Traditional civil rights priorities — including voting rights enforcement, housing discrimination, school desegregation, and police oversight — have been removed from internal mission statements and deprioritized. 

• Key units, such as those handling disability rights, educational equity, and voting protections, have been gutted, with some nearly nonfunctional due to staffing losses. 

• Ongoing investigations into systemic police abuse and voter suppression have been dropped or frozen as the division shifts legal strategy and staff resources. 

• Potential loss of critical security funding: For most states, the grants help pay for essential election functions such as updating equipment, combating cyber threats, and conducting audits.  

• Conditions funding on compliance with the president’s anti-DEI order: States must certify they do not operate DEI programs that “violate federal antidiscrimination laws.” The grant terms explicitly cite Executive Order 14099, which redefines many DEI efforts as illegal discrimination based on race or sex. 

• State officials face legal and operational concerns: Secretaries of State warned that the vague language could expose them to future liability over hiring practices, staff training, or contracts. At least one state (Maine) has refused to sign, potentially forfeiting its allocation. 

• Part of broader rollback in federal election security infrastructure: The memo follows other changes by the administration, including the disbanding of an FBI election interference task force and the sidelining of DHS officials combating disinformation, prompting fears of reduced federal support for election integrity. 

• Directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Treasury Department to investigate unlawful straw donor schemes and foreign contributions in U.S. elections. 

• In directing investigations, the memorandum specifically names ActBlue, a fundraising platform for small donations to liberal candidates and causes, alleging that foreign nationals or other prohibited sources may have used the platform for indirect donations.  

• Requires the DOJ to collaborate with the Treasury Department to review donation records and investigate potential violations. 

• This targeting of a political fundraising platform may signal greater government-backed attacks on nonprofits engaged in work or promoting policies that differ from the administration’s positions. 

• The order directs the Attorney General to create a “mechanism” to provide “legal resources” and “indemnification” for law enforcement officers involved in lawsuits for their conduct.  

• The order mandates a review of federal consent decrees, which are agreements that federal courts have imposed on police departments to address systemic issues, such as discrimination or excessive use of force. The review may lead to the modification or removal of such decrees, potentially altering the level of oversight and reform required in specific police departments. 

• National security resources, such as equipment and personnel, will be made available to local law enforcement agencies for crime prevention according to this order. This seeming militarization of police forces could erode civilian oversight of law enforcement, grant the president powers over local law enforcement, and militarize law enforcement. 

• While it is unclear how the executive branch would carry out these provisions, the order encourages more “aggressive” policing, greater investment in prisons, and expanded “legal protections” for law enforcement officers.  

• The Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security are ordered to publish a list within 30 days of jurisdictions deemed noncompliant with immigration enforcement. This revives the strategy used in 2017–2018 to publicly name cities and counties with “sanctuary” policies. 

• The order directs all federal agencies, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget, to identify and suspend discretionary federal funds to jurisdictions that “prohibit or impede” the enforcement of federal immigration law. This may affect local and state governments that limit compliance with immigration detainers, bar local police from cooperating with ICE, or have “sanctuary” policies. Similar efforts during the first Trump administration targeted law enforcement, housing, and public health grants, totaling millions in lost funding for some jurisdictions. 

• DOJ is directed to consider civil or criminal charges against state and local officials who “harbor” undocumented immigrants or obstruct enforcement, including by refusing ICE detainer requests. This could expose officials to litigation for following local sanctuary policies. 

• The order targets states offering in-state tuition or aid to undocumented students, directing federal agencies to review and challenge such policies. At least 23 states could be affected, potentially limiting college access for thousands. 

• Similar policies have resulted in a reluctance by immigrants from reporting crimes to law enforcement. 

Bans Use of Race and Gender Equity Criteria in Accreditation 

• The order prohibits accrediting agencies from requiring colleges and universities to demonstrate efforts to increase access for historically underrepresented students, such as outreach to low-income communities, recruitment of students of color, or efforts to diversify faculty. Institutions that previously built such programs into their accreditation strategies may now lose federal recognition for doing so. 

Narrows Focus to Economic Metrics Only 

• Accreditors are instructed to prioritize a narrow set of economic outcomes, such as graduation rates, student loan default rates, and post-graduation salaries without tracking the demographic data associated with those outcomes. This shift also excludes metrics like student engagement, critical thinking development, community impact, or educational climate—outcomes widely used in academic research to evaluate institutional success. 

Increases Federal Control Over Accreditation 

• The Department of Education is granted broad authority to disqualify existing accreditors if they require any criteria the administration views as “ideological,” effectively centralizing control over what counts as legitimate education quality standards. This reverses long-standing practices that kept accreditors at arm’s length from political influence. 

Encourages Approval of Alternative Accrediting Agencies 

• The administration aims to fast-track new accrediting bodies, potentially tied to political or religious organizations, to challenge the authority of legacy accreditors. This could fragment oversight, creating uneven standards across institutions and making it harder for students to assess the quality or legitimacy of different colleges. 

Undermines Transparency on Inclusion and Student Support 

• If equity-related benchmarks are barred, institutions may no longer track or report on how well they serve first-generation students, students from rural areas, students of color, or students with disabilities. This would limit public understanding of which schools are creating inclusive and supportive environments—and which are not. 

• Elimination of Disparate Impact Enforcement: The executive order directs federal agencies to cease using disparate impact theory in civil rights enforcement. This legal framework previously allowed for actions against policies that, while neutral on their face, resulted in disproportionate adverse effects on protected groups. This change narrows the scope of civil rights protections, focusing solely on intentional discrimination and potentially overlooking systemic discrimination. 

• If this order is implemented as written, it will make it significantly more difficult to challenge discriminatory actions primarily in two ways.  

• • First, it would eliminate most challenges to discriminatory actions since those actions are obviously rarely presented as discriminatory.  

• • Second, the prohibition of demographic data collection would make it nearly impossible to know of or prove discrimination.  

•  “Directs all agencies to deprioritize enforcement of statutes and regulations that include disparate-impact liability.” 

• The order “instructs the Attorney General to repeal or amend all Title VI (racial nondiscrimination) regulations that contemplate disparate-impact liability.” It also takes particular aim at the use of disparate impact analysis to prove housing discrimination under Title VII.  

• Government agencies, state governments, educational institutions, and private employers are all impacted by the order.  

• Rescinds previous federal guidance that encouraged schools to monitor and consider racial disparities in discipline.  

• • The rescinded prior policies had come in response to studies showing that certain students, particularly African American students and students with disabilities, faced significantly harsher disciplinary actions than other students for similar behavior.  

• Directs the Department of Education and DOJ to issue new guidance within 30 days that prohibits considering disparities. 

• Mandates state coordination and compliance monitoring under the administration’s interpretation of Title VI, potentially placing pressure on districts that maintain equity-focused practices. 

• Requires a federal report in 120 days evaluating “DEI-based discipline policies” and proposing a new model code of conduct for schools. 

• Positions the policy as a classroom safety measure without recognizing the issue of disproportionate disciplinary outcomes for students of color. 

• On April 21, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it will resume collections on defaulted federal student loans starting May 5, 2025, ending a pause that began in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• Approximately 5.3 million borrowers with defaulted federal student loans will be subject to involuntary collection measures, including wage garnishment and seizure of tax refunds and Social Security benefits. 

• An additional estimate 4 million borrowers are currently in “late stage delinquency,” meaning they may be weeks or months away from also defaulting.  

• The Department of Education says it will notify affected individuals via email in the coming weeks, outlining steps to return to good standing. It is encouraging borrowers to explore options such as loan rehabilitation, consolidation, or enrollment in income-driven repayment plans like the SAVE plan. 

• Because much of the Department of Education’s workforce has been eliminated, there may be technical issues with notifications and processing. Borrowers can check their loan status at studentaid.gov and those default can contact the Default Resolution Group to explore payment plans. 

• NIH will suspend or revoke funding for institutions that: 

• Operate programs that advance or promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives deemed in violation of White House policies; or 

• Engage in boycotts targeting Israeli companies or entities doing business with or in Israel. 

• Applies to all new, renewal, supplement, or continuation awards issued on or after the effective date. 

• Institutions must certify non-engagement in DEI programs or specified boycotts to receive funding. 

• Potential termination and recovery of funds for non-compliant institutions. 

• An estimated 9,000 Afghan nationals risk deportation to Afghanistan and estimated 3,000 Cameroonian nationals risk deportation to Cameroon if they lose TPS protections.  

• The political situations in both Afghanistan and Cameroon would subject deported individuals to a high risk of physical violence and persecution.  

• DHS announced the terminations through the press statements but has not published the decision memos used to justify the terminations. The justifications and the process used to terminate the TPS designations will be challenged in courts.    

• All South Sudanese nationals holding U.S. visas or applying for U.S. visas. 

• The Secretary of State ordered the revocation of visas and barred the issuance of new visas to South Sudanese claiming it was because South Sudan was not accepting individuals deported from the U.S. Based on media reports, it appears this decision was based on South Sudan refusing to accept a Congolese national deported by the U.S.  
• This action by the Secretary of State might be a test case for future travel and visas bans.  

• Targets “aliens applying for lawful permanent resident status,” foreign students, and “aliens affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity.” 

• The press release states it “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin considering aliens’ antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests.”  

• Despite presenting itself as a policy against antisemitism, this is another policy targeting the speech of visa holders for expressing any support for Palestinian rights or opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza. The administration’s public actions and statements so far have equated all support for Palestinian rights and opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza as antisemitic.   

• DHS is reportedly revoking the humanitarian parole status and work permits of some of the over 900,000 people in the U.S. who gained entry through the CBP One App under the Biden Administration.  

• The new policy does not seem to be available on official government websites. But the policy was confirmed and reported on by news outlets based on notifications received by humanitarian parolees and official DHS statements to the media.  

• NPR reported that “that migrants whose parole has been terminated will also lose their work authorization, and also could be subject to criminal prosecution, fines and removal from the U.S., although it does make an exception for those who have ‘otherwise obtained a lawful basis to remain here.’” Moreover, it is unclear how or if this will impact those in the process of applying for Temporary Protected Status, asylum, or other forms of immigration protection.  

• DHS stated this policy does not impact migrants paroled under the United for Ukraine (for Ukrainian migrants) and Operation Allies Welcome (for Afghan migrants) programs.  

• This impacts immigrants with final orders of removal or are under criminal investigation who have filed taxes.  

• The agreement may also have the impact of discouraging immigrants from filing taxes that would then create new legal risks for them.  

• An ongoing lawsuit seeking to reveal whether the IRS was sharing information with USCIS led to the formalization and a redacted public filing of the agreement. Several top ranking IRS officials, including the acting commissioner, have resigned over concerns about the legality of the data sharing.  

• An estimated 5,000 international students had their SEVIS status reinstated after spending weeks fearing deportation. In some instances students fled the country while others went into hiding.  

• The SEVIS status of thousands of international students was revoked primarily due to the automatic visa revocation process triggered by name matches in national security-related databases, such as the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB). When the State Department revoked a student’s visa based on a flagged name match—regardless of whether the match was accurate—Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) then automatically terminated that student’s SEVIS record. This loss of SEVIS status placed students at risk of detention or deportation, even though many had no knowledge of the visa revocation or the reasons behind it. The process did not require individualized review or notification prior to enforcement. 
• It’s important to note that just because a student is removed from the SEVIS, it does not mean the student’s visa was revoked. As a result, it’s important students verify their immigration status and speak to an attorney even if they have been removed from SEVIS.

 

• Although SEVIS status was restored to thousands of students, the government is now formalizing guidelines that could give it a stronger legal basis to resume mass SEVIS terminations. Under these updated policies, a student’s SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) record can now be terminated if their visa is revoked or if their name appears in criminal or fingerprint databases, even in cases involving minor infractions or dismissed charges. ​Previously, visa revocation did not automatically lead to the loss of legal status for students already present in the U.S.; they were typically allowed to continue their studies but could not reenter the country if they left. The new policy marks a significant shift, treating visa revocation as immediate grounds for terminating a student’s legal status. 

• Mass layoffs, office closures, and rule changes may disrupt social security benefits during the coming months.  

• Possible Disruptions to Services:  

• • Approximately 7,000 out of 57,000 Social Security Administration workers have been laid off. The SSA’s staffing level was already at a 50-year low and facing challenges with backlogs, which are predicted to increase. There are also conflicting reports of plans to close some regional offices.  

• New identification requirements starting April 14, 2025: 

• • There are new requirements for those applying for Social Security benefits (including retirement, survivors, and auxiliary benefits) and for those applying for changes to their Social Security benefits.  

• • • If applicants are unable to use the online Social Security portal, they will have to apply in-person at regional Social Security offices and provide proof of identification. Doing so by phone will no longer be an option.  

• Exemptions  

• • Applications for Medicare, SSI, and disability benefits are exempted from the new requirements and can still be done by phone.  

• Payments by paper checks ending September 2025: 

• • The federal government will stop issuing and receiving paper checks in September 2025 with a few exceptions. This will affect approximately 500,000 Social Security beneficiaries currently receiving benefits by mail.  

• On March 31, the Department of Health and Human Services sent letters to at least nine Planned Parenthood chapters operating dozens of clinics informing them of the suspension of federal Title X funds, which support family planning programs.  

• News reports stated that the letter recipients were given ten days to reply that they are complying with “federal civil rights laws” and the president’s executive orders, namely relating to those claiming to prohibit DEIA and serving certain immigrants.  

• It is particularly noteworthy that Planned Parenthoods’ stated “commitment to black communities” was flagged as a potential “civil rights” violation. As more facts emerge and this story develops, we should learn more about how the administration defines DEIA for clinics and organizations committed to serving underserved populations. 

• An estimated one million federal employees risk losing their collective bargaining rights as a result of this executive order.  

• A loss of collective bargaining rights for federal employees will significantly increase presidents’ powers by essentially making much of the civil service at-will employees of the president.  
• Current law grants the president to exclude certain groups of federal employees whose work involves national security and other sensitive matters from collective bargaining. Whether the president can extend that authority by broadly reclassifying nearly 2/3rds of the civil service is a question courts will have to determine. 

• The rule would shorten the Open Enrollment Period (OEP) for all individual health insurance from November 1st to January 15th to November 1st to December 15th for those enrolling in insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), frequently referred to as “Obamacare.” 

• The “low-income Special Enrollment Period (SEP)” would be removed from both the Federal and State Exchanges.  

• Currently, individuals whose projected household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Line have a SEP under the Federal and most State-based Exchanges whereby they can enroll or change plans on a monthly basis 

• This rule would remove Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients from the definition of “lawfully present,” which in effect renders DACA recipients ineligible for enrollment in a qualified health plan through the Exchange. This could remove coverage for about 100,000 DACA recipients. 

• If this rule is finalized and implemented, there are estimates that between 750,000 and 2 million fewer individuals will enroll in health insurance plans on the Exchanges in 2026. 

• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it will terminate about 10,000 full-time employees on March 27. In the same release, it claimed an additional 10,000 full-time employees had accepted voluntary buyouts. As a result, HHS will lose approximately one quarter of its 83,000 employees. As part of its statement, HHS announced the closures of many regional offices serving various parts of the country.  

• These terminations may impact the ability of HHS to continue its normal operations administering programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. 

• Public health is also likely impacted because these cuts include impacts on the operations of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute of Health, which are all part of HHS. Food safety, drug research and approval, and public health monitoring are just a few examples of what these agencies are tasked with. 

• Nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) who are in the United States under the CHNV humanitarian parole created by the previous administration. The CHNV program protected nationals of those countries who received parole from deportation and allowed them to obtain work permits.  

• 530,000 people and their immediate family members have humanitarian parole under the CHNV program. 

• If this order were implemented as written, tens of millions of Americans could lose the right to vote.  

• Based on analysis of the order’s list of possible documents voters could use to prove citizenship, it is likely that only passports or military IDs would be accepted.  

• Most of the 146 million Americans without passports would be unable to provide prove of citizenship based on the order’s language and would lose the right to vote.  

• Other voters would lose the right to vote by being purged off voter rolls without notice and without an easy way to restore their right to vote.  

• States administering elections would require billions of dollars to implement the order but the order does not provide any funding, which would require an act of Congress. At the same time, the order threatens the withholding of Congressionally allocated funding to states that do not comply with the order.  

• The order asks for the prioritization of law enforcement against nonprofits and businesses who are allegedly using federal funds to influence elections.  

• This order also impacts the privacy of all Americans because it requires the government to comb through multiple federal and state databases to pool data on Americans’ voter records and citizenship status. Although the order calls for this, there is actually no such centralized source of information nor does the federal government have a right to access state administered databases.  

• This order completely eliminates or nearly eliminates seven government entities. 

• Those entities the order seeks to eliminate are: 
  • The Minority Business Development Agency  

• • The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund  

• • The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness 

• • The Institute of Museum and Library Services  

• • The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Smithsonian Institution 

• • The United States Agency for Global Media 

• • The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service 

• Applicants to become lawfully permanent residents (i.e., green cards) who were admitted to the country as refugees or who had been granted asylum.  

• Based on media reports that include official statements from government officials, USCIS is pausing the processing of green cards applications from lawfully present refugees and asylees in order to conduct more “vetting” in compliance with a January 20, 2025 executive order.   

• The pause on processing certain applications was first revealed by media reports on March 25, 2025. Many details are still missing, including when this pause started and whether it includes any other type of green card applicants.   

• This proclamation states that it applies to all Venezuelan citizens in the U.S. aged 14 years or older who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and who are “members” of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization, which was recently designated a “foreign terrorist organization.”  

• The president’s proclamation invokes the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which has only been invoked during the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II. This act can be invoked against foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that the U.S. has declared war on or of countries the president determines are involved in an “invasion or predatory incursion” of the United States.  

• This act has only been invoked against nationals of countries at war with the United States. It has never been invoked against a non-governmental actor, such as the Tren de Aragua organization, or on the basis of alleged membership in an organization. During World War II, the act was used to detain German, Japanese, and Italian foreign nationals present in the U.S. 

• The proclamation effectively impacts every person in the United States even though its stated impact is limited to certain Venezuelan nationals who are members of Tren de Aragua. This act allows the president to deport foreign nationals without the usual judicial and administrative processes involved in deportations. And because the administration has failed to clearly explain how it is determining people’s identities or alleged gang membership, it effectively means any person can mistakenly be detained and deported. In this instance, there are multiple reports that Venezuelan nationals with no criminal affiliations were deported and imprisoned in El Salvador, where they may have no access to courts. 

Additional Legal Developments

• On April 16, 2025, Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of Washington, D.C. issued an order threatening to launch criminal contempt proceedings against administration officials stating that “probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt.” The order stated the court will launch the proceedings unless the administration provides a way for Venezuelan nationals deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act to contents their deportations. If the administration fails to do so, the court will hold contempt proceedings to determine why the government seemingly defied Judge Boasberg’s March 15 order prohibiting the deportations. Contempt proceedings against government officials are extremely rare, and Judge Boasberg issued his order after the administration repeatedly refused to provide information to the court. The government issued a notice of appeal of the order on the evening of April 16.  

• In a separate case involving the Alien Enemies Act deportations, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland ordered government officials on April 16 to provide documents and sworn testimonies to determine whether it was complying with a Supreme Court order to “facilitate and effectuate” the return of Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly and illegally deported to El Salvador. The order essentially seeks to determine whether the government is complying with court orders, raising significant Constitutional issues. The government requested a stay of the order and filed an appeal shortly after it was issued.  

• These grants were allocated by Congress to provide low-cost loans to businesses and developers to incentivize climate initiatives, such as installing solar panels. The $20 billion were allocated to eight nonprofit organizations who were charged with distributing the funds to local credit unions and “green banks” as loans and grants.  
• If the grants’ termination is upheld, the decision will negatively impact businesses and contractors who have operated in reliance on the disbursement of these funds. Likewise, this termination along with other changes could severely impact related industries and contractors, such as solar panel installers.  

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cut $660 million from its Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement Program. This program helped schools and child care centers purchase nutritious food from local farmers. The cuts will impact child nutrition and local farmers.  
• The USDA cut $440 million from the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). This program assisted food banks in purchasing food products from local farmers. It will impact food bank stocks and smaller farmers, who were contracting through the program. 

• This order directs the Secretary of Education to revise eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).  

• The PSLF is designed to encourage university graduates to work in public service by providing student loan forgiveness after working fulltime for ten years for a nonprofit, government, or similar qualified employers.  

• The order seeks to disqualify eligibility for applicants working for employers whose work includes “illegal immigration, human smuggling, child trafficking, pervasive damage to public property, and disruption of the public order, which threaten the security and stability of the United States.”
• Based on the language of the order and accompanying statements, it seems the administration is trying to exclude loan forgiveness primarily for nonprofits and local governments whose work includes immigration, services for transgender people, racial and gender equity, and public mobilization.

• Many of the layoffs occurred within the Department’s Office of Civil Rights, which enforces civil rights compliance in schools and universities and investigates civil rights complaints. As a result, many of its regional offices have closed. This office has received a record number of complaints in recent years and was already severely understaffed.  

• With fewer people overseeing the Department’s student financial aid programs, it may be more difficult for students to apply for or renew student aid. It is also likely there will be less oversight of the private contractors managing $1.6 trillion in student loans.  

• The Department’s main role in K-12 education is providing and overseeing funding through the Title I program for low-income schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The funding these programs provide include funding for smaller classes, additional teacher support, social workers, and disability accommodation. While these programs are mandated by Congress, it will be very difficult for the Department to fully implement and monitor these programs. 

• One of the key functions of the Department of Education, primarily through its Institute of Education Sciences (I.E.S.), is to collect data from schools in order to inform policymaking and Congressional budget making. The latest layoffs, along with earlier funding cuts and contract terminations, mean it is unlike the I.E.S. will be able to continue its work.  

• In his March 20 order, the president directed the Secretary of State to, “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.”  

• Congress created the Department of Education, so the president most likely does not have the legal authority to unilaterally eliminate the department. As a result, the executive order is likely to continue the process of moving some of the department’s functions to other agencies while making other sections inoperable by eliminating staff.  

• Some of the impacts of the department’s ongoing dismantle are immediate. These include an increasing backlog of civil rights complaints, particularly those relating to the rights of disabled students. In addition, the layoffs mean the department is no longer able to collect and analyze the data it uses for funding allocations.  

• It is unclear how Title I and related funding to schools for 2026-2027 will be distributed considering the department’s inability to collect and analyze data.  

• This new office replaces the White Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which the administration eliminated on January 20, 2025.  

• The new White House Faith Office, compared to the office it replaces, places a heavier emphasis on supporting faith-based organizations and efforts to “combat… anti-religious bias.”  
• The order states the office is meant to “empower faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to serve families and communities.” The grammatical ambiguity makes it unclear whether it refers to all “community organizations” or just “faith-based” “community organizations.”  

• This is a technical order creating a new federal employee category for federal workers in “policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating” positions. 
• The order makes it easier to terminate workers in the new category. By doing so, it removes protections from political interference for career civil servants engaged in policy work. 

• This order challenges long-established legal understandings by creating a mechanism that would require nearly all regulatory agencies’ actions to have approval from the president and attorney general. Independent regulatory agencies include agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Federal Communications Commissions. 

• The order states that any agencies’ interpretation of the law must in “the issuance of regulations, guidance, and positions advanced in litigation” must be in line with the president’s or the attorney general’s opinion. The only exceptions it provides are for “the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or to the Federal Open Market Committee in [their] conduct of monetary policy.” 

• Since the late 1800s, Congress has created certain independent regulatory agencies with safeguards from political interference by sitting presidents. The purpose of creating these safeguards was to ensure the agencies were guided by professional rather than political expertise.  

• The Trump Administration has disbanded several advisory groups to the Census, including the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations.
• Census Advisory Committees, and the NAC in particular, have served as valuable pathways for marginalized communities to provide insights into the policies and practices of federal agencies.
• We are still uncertain of the implications of this action, but we are concerned about what the lack of expert advising on race and ethnicity could mean for our communities’ representation and inclusion in Census data collection and implementation.

• The terminated grants provided key resources to support and recruit educators, particularly those teaching students from disadvantaged economic backgrounds and students with special needs. The termination of these grants is part of the administration’s plans to defund what it defines as DEI. 

• Terminated $336 million awarded to Regional Educational Laboratories that were meant for “research, development, and technical assistance activities.”   

• It stated these contracts were terminated due to “wasteful and ideologically driven spending not in the interest of students and taxpayers” and provided assistance for schools to carry out “‘equity audits’ and equity conversations” as examples of such spending. 

• Terminated $33 million in grants to Equity Assistance Centers stating grants “supported divisive training in DEI, Critical Race Theory, and gender identity for state and local education agencies as well as school boards.” 

• This order’s stated purpose is to eliminate the promotion of what the administration deems “radical, anti-American ideologies” K-12 educational institutions receiving federal funding. 

• The order emphasizes the enforcement of existing laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), to safeguard parental authority in educational settings. 

• The wide-ranging order emphasizes prioritizing “patriotic” education that present U.S. history in ways described as “admirable,” “noble,” and “inspiring.”  
• The prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusions efforts and characterizes them as discriminatory.  

Immigrant Visa Holders  

• The executive actions threaten to prosecute and deport visa holders, particularly university students and faculty, who engage or have engaged in First Amendment-protected speech supporting Palestinian rights and opposing genocide by declaring them as “Hamas sympathizers” expressing support for antisemitism, “jihadism,” and “foreign terrorism.” 

• Even if no actual actions are taken against visa holders under these actions, they already have the effect of chilling speech – meaning the government is spreading fear to deny people their First Amendment rights. 

• The actions also subject visa holders to the constant threat of anyone, such as a classmate, having the power to contact the government and report the visa holder as a supporter of terrorism. 

 Universities  

• The orders ask universities to “monitor for and report activities by alien students and staff” for “antisemitic” conduct but it does not outline how they should do this nor whether they are actually required to report students and faculty to the government. 

• In addition to targeting faculty and student visa holders, these actions along with plans announced for the Department of Education, will increase the ongoing pressure on universities to silence dissent with threats to their funding. 

Legal Updates

• On March 8, 2025 Mahmoud Khalil, a legally permanent resident married to a U.S. citizen pregnant with their child, was detained by ICE from his residence in New York City and transferred to a detention site in Louisiana. Mr. Khalil is a recent Columbia University graduate who was a Palestinian human rights advocate and served as a mediator during protests between the university and student groups. He was informed his Green Card was revoked by the Secretary of State, who claims an obscure provision of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 grants him the authority to revoke the visa of anyone whose presence in the U.S. he deems as having an adverse impact on U.S. foreign policy. Following his detention, Mr. Khalil was moved to New Jersey and then to Louisiana. On March 12, a federal district court judge in New York held a hearing in which he ordered the government not to deport Mr. Khalil while he reviews his case. The judge also ordered the government to allow Mr. Khalil to privately meet with his attorneys, who until then had no private access to their client. On March 19, a federal district court judge in New York denied the government’s request to move the case to a federal court in Louisiana but ordered the case moved to a New Jersey federal district. As a result, a federal court in New Jersey will now be hearing the case. The government does not state Mr. Khalil committed any crime. As a result, if courts apply precedent, it is likely Mr. Khalil’s detention and residency revocation are a violation of the First Amendment, which protects the speech of any person in the country regardless of citizenship. .
  • On April 1, a federal district court judge in New Jersey denied the government’s request to move Mr. Khalil’s case to a court in Louisiana.
• On March 6, media outlets reported the State Department is implementing a program dubbed “Catch and Revoke” to implement these orders. The program’s stated aim is to revoke visas and deport foreign nationals it considers as expressing support for “Hamas and other foreign designated terror groups.” It does so largely through the use of AI-driven tools to scan social media and other databases to identify any speech it considers as expressing such support. The president, Secretary of State, and numerous administration officials have equated all advocacy for Palestinian rights with “support for Hamas” on multiple occasions. As a result, this program may target anyone expressing support for Palestinian rights and freedom. The sweeping use of AI and its propensity for error can upend the lives of tens of thousands of visa holders and disrupt universities around the country. This is still a developing story, and we do not know yet the results of its implementation but will continue providing updates.

Ongoing Cases

Rümeysa Öztürk: A 30-year-old Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, Öztürk was detained on March 25, 2025, in a Boston suburb. While unconfirmed, Ms. Öztürk seems to have been detained because she co-authored an op-ed in her student newspaper asking Tufts University to acknowledge the Palestinian genocide and divest from companies tied with Israel.  

Alireza Doroudi: An Iranian doctoral student at the University of Alabama, Doroudi was detained by ICE officers at his Tuscaloosa home on March 25, 2025. His F-1 student visa was revoked but no explanation has been offered as of 3/27/25. 

Yunseo Chung: A 21-year-old Columbia University student and lawful permanent resident from South Korea who immigrated to the United States when she was 7 years old obtained a temporary restraining order from a federal court on March 25 preventing ICE from detaining her while her case is adjudicated. The Department of Homeland Security attempted to revoke her permanent resident status and initiate deportation proceedings because of her participation in pro-Palestinian protests. 

Momodou Taal: A Cornell University graduate student with dual United Kingdom and Gambian citizenship, Taal was informed on March 22, 2025, to surrender himself to ICE due to his advocacy for Palestine. He was asked to surrender himself after he filed a lawsuit against the government asking a court to halt any attempts to deport him.  

Badar Khan Suri: An Indian researcher at Georgetown University, Suri was detained by federal immigration authorities on March 17, 2025. His visa was revoked despite no criminal charges or prior record but due to do some activities in support of Palestinian rights and reportedly his marriage to a U.S. citizen of Palestinian origin.  A court barred Mr. Suri’s deportation on March 20 as his case gets reviewed.  

Dr. Rasha Alawieh: A 34-year-old Lebanese doctor and assistant professor at Brown University, Alawieh was deported to Lebanon earlier on March 16, 2025 despite holding a valid U.S. work visa. U.S. authorities justified the deportation based on photos on Dr. Alawieh’s phone and despite a court order barring her deportation.​ 

Leqaa Kordia: A Palestinian student from the Occupied Palestinian West Bank who attended Columbia University, Kordia was arrested by ICE agents on March 14, 2025, for allegedly overstaying her F-1 student visa and for her involvement in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia. Kordia is currently being held at an ICE detention facility in Texas. 

Ranjani Srinivasan: A 37-year-old doctoral candidate from India at Columbia University fled to Canada on March 11, 2025 after DHS revoked her visa due to her Palestinian human rights advocacy promising to detain her.  

 Mahmoud Khalil: A Palestinian activist and graduate student at Columbia University, Mr. Khalil was detained on March 8, 2025, outside his New York City apartment while he was returning home with his expecting wife, who is a U.S. citizen. The Secretary of State revoked Mr. Khalil’s Green Card because of Mr. Khalil Palestine advocacy. Courts have barred the government from deporting Mr. Khalil while his case gets reviewed and ordered the government to return him to New Jersey from a Louisiana detention facility. 

• This memorandum directs the heads of all executive departments and agencies to review all funding provided to NGOs and “align future funding decisions with the interests of the United States and with the goals and priorities of [the] Administration.”  

• The brief memo states many NGOs are “engaged in actions that actively undermine the security, prosperity, and safety of the American people” and that is in the policy of the Administration to stop funding NGOs that undermine the national interest.” 

• While the impact of this order is unclear, its impact can potentially include limiting the ability of tens of millions of people to vote without assistance, file taxes, access healthcare, apply for government services, use courts, and navigate the immigration system. 

• This order rescinds the 25-year-old Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency [“LEP”].” By rescinding the order, federal agencies and federal grant recipients providing services to the public “develop and implement a system to provide those services so LEP persons can have meaningful access to them.”  

• This order does not prohibit or limit agencies from providing services and documents in languages other than English; instead, it removes the mandate and leaves the decision to provide non-English services and documents up to each agency.  

Potential travel bans:  

• The order directs relevant agency heads in 60 days to identify “countries throughout the world for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries.” Creating a framework before imposing any travel bans could help the administration avoid some of the court challenges to the first “Muslim Ban” in 2017.  

Immigrants:  

• The order directs “any actions necessary to protect the American people from the actions of foreign nationals who have undermined or seek to undermine the fundamental constitutional rights of the American people, including… our Citizens’ rights to freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion protected by the First Amendment, who preach or call for sectarian violence, the overthrow or replacement of the culture on which our constitutional Republic stands, or who provide aid, advocacy, or support for foreign terrorist.”  

• This provision creates a framework for denying entry to and for revoking the visas of people based on vague ideological grounds.  

• Please see the “Impacts on Free Speech and Dissent Through Overlapping Actions” summary for related information. 

TPS 

• The “Protecting the American People” order directs the Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Homeland Security Secretary to ensure TPS designations are “consistent” with the law.  

• Any premature terminations of TPS would require several steps and would be challenged in courts. However, on January 28, the DHS Secretary revoked the Venezuelan TPS extension granted by the prior administration on January 17, 2025 and could do so because the extension was still in a review period. On February 1, the DHS Secretary also announced she will allow the 2023 TPS designation for Venezuelans to expire on April 2, 2025. 

Humanitarian Parole  

• The “Protecting the American People” order states Parole should only be granted on a case-by-case basis as opposed to broad designations of Parole for entire groups. 

• The “Securing Our Borders” order instructs the DHS Secretary to end the “CBP One” parole process and to terminate the Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) Parole program. 

• On January 28, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services stopped accepting Parole applications under the CHNV Parole program and under the United for Ukraine (U4U).  

Non-Profits   It directs the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to “immediately review and, if appropriate, audit all contracts, grants, or other agreements providing Federal funding to non-governmental organizations supporting or providing services, either directly or indirectly, to removable or illegal aliens, to ensure that such agreements conform to applicable law and are free of waste, fraud, and abuse, and that they do not promote or facilitate violations of our immigration laws.”   The order threatens such NGOs with a pause of federal funding and termination of agreements.  Public Benefits   The order does not create any new rules but directs government agencies to “identify and stop the provision of any public benefits to any illegal alien not authorized to receive them.”  Humanitarian Parole and Temporary Protected Status (TPS)  The order states that Parole should only be granted on a case-by-case basis as opposed to broad designations of Parole for entire groups.

 

• This order challenges the right to birthright citizenship for all persons born in the U.S., as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Specifically, it would deny citizenship to any child whose father is not a U.S. citizen or Legally Permanent Resident and whose mother is (1) an undocumented immigrant OR (2) whose mother is on a temporary visa, such as a tourist or student visa.

• This stop-work order stopped the continued distribution of a $200 million contract managed by the Acacia Center for Justice that funded nearly all legal representation for unaccompanied minors through a network of nonprofit partners.  

• The nationwide impact of this stop-work order is that nearly all representation for unaccompanied minors is no longer funded.  

• The administration has not offered an explanation for ending the funding but the stop-work order made a point of stating the order was “being implemented due to causes outside of your control and should not be misconstrued as an indication of poor performance by your firm.”  

• A similar January 23 Department of Justice stop-work order halting funding to a program providing legal information and training to undocumented immigrants facing deportation was rescinded after a court after impacted organizations brought legal action.   

• The attorney general directs all “[d]epartment components that provide federal funding to non-governmental organizations [to] immediately identify all contracts, grants, or other agreements with organizations that support or provide services to removable or illegal aliens.” It then directs each component to immediately “[p]ause any further distribution of funds for 60 days after complying with any notice and procedural requirements” while the funding is reviewed by the department.  

• The memorandum also requires the identification within 45 days of all nonprofits receiving DOJ funding and whether the funding “resulted in the provision of any funds or services to removable or illegal aliens.”  

• The stated purpose of the February 19 order is to stop undocumented immigrants from receiving any public benefits they are already legally barred from receiving. This order directs the heads of each agency to identify “all federally funded programs administered by the agency that currently permit illegal aliens to obtain any cash or non-cash public benefit.” It also directs them to ensure “Federal payments to States and localities do not, by design or effect, facilitate the subsidization or promotion of illegal immigration, or abet so-called “sanctuary” policies that seek to shield illegal aliens from deportation.  

• Because these provisions are framed as just enforcing current laws, it is unclear what impact they might have.  

• The February 19 order also seeks to “enhance eligibility verification systems, to the maximum extent possible, to ensure that taxpayer-funded benefits exclude any ineligible alien.”  

• Any such new verification systems could increase requirements on service providers to ask for documentation but this would probably require a significant amount of time to be implemented. 

• This primarily applies to undocumented immigrant. DHS states it applies, “with limited exceptions, [to] all aliens 14 years of age or older who were not fingerprinted or registered when applying for a U.S. visa and who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer.”  

• This requirement would create a government registry to more easily facilitate deportations and mass detentions for those who register. But because it is unlikely millions of people would participate, it would effectively classify millions of people as guilty of a crime.  

• Turning a civil offense into a criminal offense can only be done by Congress but the administration argues the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act grants it this power.  

• There is no clear definition of DEI provided but it presents DEI as being discriminatory and in violation of civil rights laws.  

• Requires any government contractor or grant recipient to “to certify that it does not operate any programs promoting DEI that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws.” 

• Directs the Attorney General to work with the heads of agencies to pressure the private sector to end DEI through several ways, including:  “each agency shall identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations of publicly traded corporations, large non-profit corporations or associations, foundations with assets of 500 million dollars or more, State and local bar and medical associations, and institutions of higher education with endowments over 1 billion dollars.” 

• Directs the Attorney General and Secretary of Education to “issue guidance to all State and local educational agencies that receive Federal funds, as well as all institutions of higher education” receiving federal funds “regarding the measures and practices required to comply” with the 2023 Supreme Court case barring affirmative action on the basis of race in education.  

• The order exempts preferences for military veterans.  

• The order states it does not prevent First Amendment-protected speech by “State or local governments, Federal contractors, or Federally-funded State and local educational agencies or institutions of higher education.” 

• The order also states it does not prevent instructors at institutions of higher learning from “advocating for, endorsing, or promoting the unlawful employment or contracting practices prohibited by this order.” 

• By repealing Order 11246, government contractors and subcontractors will no longer need to demonstrate they are taking affirmative actions against discrimination in the workplace and in hiring. The main impact on non-profits that are government contractors appears to be fewer reporting requirements.  

• The removal of transparent and equal standards for granting federal contracts may also lead to more political favoritism in granting contracts. 

• Civil rights laws, namely the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, are still in effect and bar employers from discriminating against people based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, and marital or familial status. 

• Rescinds the previous administration’s Executive Order 13985: “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” 

• The order directs key agency heads and the Attorney General to “coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.” 

• “Each agency, department, or commission head” must within sixty days “terminate… all DEI, DEIA, and ‘environmental justice’ offices and positions (including but not limited to ‘Chief Diversity Officer’ positions); all ‘equity action plans,’ ‘equity’ actions, initiatives, or programs, ‘equity-related’ grants or contracts; and all DEI or DEIA performance requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees.” 

• While this order states all its actions must be conducted in line with the law, it provides no guidance on where it draws the line between DEIA programs and legally required non-discrimination in employment, hiring, or the provision of government services. 

Medicaid Cuts 

• Recipients – Millions of people could lose their health insurance if Congress’s proposal to cut at least $880 billion from Medicaid funding over the next years is passed. Moreover, those who would not lose their Medicaid health insurance would have fewer health services covered by Medicaid and greater difficulty accessing healthcare.  

• Healthcare Providers – Many healthcare providers will no longer be able to operate and maintain staffing if the U.S. healthcare system loses nearly $1 trillion dollars in funding. This will also limit healthcare options for those covered by private insurance.  

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Recipients –  

• Recipients – The proposal to cut at least $230 billion from SNAP over ten years would significantly impact the 44 million people receiving SNAP assistance. Millions will become ineligible for the assistance and those remaining eligible will have their assistance reduced along with added burdens and red tape.  

• Farmers – The agriculture sector and farmers will face significant losses if SNAP benefits are reduced because there will be less food purchased.  

• The SAVE Act stated purpose to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. 

• It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections and there are no claims that there is a problem with noncitizens illegally voting in federal elections.  

• As a result, the impact of this bill if it becomes law would be to place barriers on American citizens from voting.  

• The SAVE Act would require voters to provide documentary evidence of their citizenship, which could include passports and birth certificates with a matching name but would not include most state IDs or drivers’ licenses because those do not indicate citizenship.  
• This bill would likely result in removing millions of Americans from state voter rolls. It would especially impact Americans who do not have a passport or a copy of their birth certificate. Moreover, because names of voters must match their names on birth certificates, millions of women who changed their last names could be disenfranchised.  

• The JLVRAA modernizes and strengthens the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which has had key provisions gutted through a series of Supreme Court rulings starting in 2013. The JLVRAA seeks to ensure that that all eligible Americans, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, or economic status, have equal access to voting and the right to decide who governs them.
• By prohibiting barriers to voting, especially those that disproportionately disenfranchise Black and Brown voters, the bill protects the right of all citizens to decide who governs them rather than allow politicians to select their voters. The bill achieves these goals through multiple provisions that include registration requirements, protections against tampering with voter rolls, ballot access, disability accommodations, language assistance, federal civil rights enforcement, and mechanisms against corruption. 

• Bars any federal government health providers or institutions receiving federal funding from providing any gender-affirming care for any person under the age of nineteen.  

• Defines “gender ideology” as the practice with which the “biological category of sex” is replaced “with an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity.” 

• Prohibits any federal funds from being used to “promote gender ideology.”  

• Stops all recognition of transgender people in any data collection (e.g., Bureau of Prisons, hate crime tracking, passports), public policy guidance (e.g., CDC guidance on promoting mental wellbeing in schools for transgender and non-binary students), or research (e.g., NIH studies).  

• Prevents government agencies and institutions from recognizing prevailing scientific literature on gender.  

• This recission in combination with other directives immediately paused the disbursement of all funds already allocated under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.  

• Agencies are instructed to determine within 90 days whether paused funds “align” with president’s priorities and to cancel disbursements if they are not.  

• Whether the president can cancel Congressionally allocated funds will be challenged in courts.  

• The immediate impact of this withdrawal is the CDC was ordered to cease communications with the WHO. This leaves the U.S. vulnerable to potential infectious disease outbreaks because it limits transnational data tracking and research. U.S. public health agencies work closely with the WHO on responding to public health threats and on sharing research, such as identifying influenza variants to use for annual vaccines. 

• The rescinded order outlined a policy “to protect and strengthen Medicaid and the ACA [Affordable Care Act] and to make high-quality healthcare accessible and affordable for every American.” Through EO 14009, the prior administration established a special enrollment period during which time “uninsured and under-insured Americans” could “seek coverage through the Federally Facilitated Marketplace.” It also instructed agencies to review whether any of their policies and practices undermine the previously mentioned policy statement. 

• This rescission signals the new administration is interested in curtailing access to health insurance through the Affordable Healthcare Act; however, the Affordable Healthcare Act remains enshrined in law and would require Congress to repeal it. 

• During the first 24 hours of this memorandum’s distribution, there were significant disruptions across the country to various federally funded social and health services administered directly by the federal government and through state governments and non-profits.  

• Although the memorandum was rescinded and is blocked by courts, there continue to be some disruptions to federally funded programs. Most notably, many Community Health Centers and Head Start programs have had difficulty accessing the online portal distributing funds. The Department of Health and Human Services stated this was due to a technical issue rather than a funding freeze.  

• Because there are multiple, overlapping directives and orders pausing various federal funding, some unrelated funding pauses remain in place. These include, for example, pauses on certain health and science research.  

• Suspends all U.S. refugee programs for at least 90 days, including the admission of previously authorized refugees.  

• Pauses domestic funding to refugee resettlement programs. This pause is separate from the overall funding freezes that are currently subject to court injunctions. 

• This order identifies the cost and access to IVF treatment as problematic.  
• It orders the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to submit a “list of policy recommendations on protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment” within 90 days.  

• The order rescinded the legal requirement that all persons be counted in the Census regardless of citizenship or immigration status.  

• Rescinding the order does not remove the Constitutional requirement that all persons be counted in the decennial census.  

Medicaid Cuts 

• Recipients – Millions of people could lose their health insurance if Congress’s proposal to cut at least $880 billion from Medicaid funding over the next years is passed. Moreover, those who would not lose their Medicaid health insurance would have fewer health services covered by Medicaid and greater difficulty accessing healthcare.  

• Healthcare Providers – Many healthcare providers will no longer be able to operate and maintain staffing if the U.S. healthcare system loses nearly $1 trillion dollars in funding. This will also limit healthcare options for those covered by private insurance.  

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Recipients 

• Recipients – The proposal to cut at least $230 billion from SNAP over ten years would significantly impact the 44 million people receiving SNAP assistance. Millions will become ineligible for the assistance and those remaining eligible will have their assistance reduced along with added burdens and red tape.  

• Farmers – The agriculture sector and farmers will face significant losses if SNAP benefits are reduced because there will be less food purchased.