This week’s federal policy roundup covers developments in immigration policy, voting rights, environmental policy, and federal funding and their impacts on our communities. Key developments include the expansion of public charge criteria taking effect September 18, the Supreme Court blocking USPS mail-ballot restrictions ahead of the November midterms, the EPA repealing most greenhouse gas limits for power plants, and a new tracker identifying up to $177 billion in disrupted federal grants affecting all 50 states.
DHS Expands Public Charge Review Beginning September 18
Beginning September 18, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will expand the criteria immigration officers use to determine whether some green card applicants and certain people applying to enter the United States are likely to become a public charge. Being designated a public charge means officers believe an applicant is likely to rely on government assistance in the future and may result in the denial of a green card or admission to the United States. The final rule rescinds the 2022 policy that generally limited consideration to cash assistance and long-term institutional care. Officers may now consider a wider range of means-tested benefits, including benefits received by household members in some cases, though the rule does not identify every covered program or provide uniform standards for weighing benefit use. The expanded public charge definition creates uncertainty about how the use of benefits could affect immigration applications. As a result, immigrant and mixed-status families may avoid health coverage, nutrition assistance, and other benefits for which they are eligible. Coalitions of states and cities filed separate lawsuits Monday seeking to block the rule, but no court has paused implementation yet.
Supreme Court Blocks USPS Mail-Ballot Restrictions for 2026 Midterms
On Monday, the Supreme Court denied the Trump administration’s request to enforce new U.S. Postal Service (USPS) requirements for mail ballots, leaving a preliminary injunction in place blocking any changes for the November 2026 midterm elections. The blocked rule would require states to submit lists of eligible mail voters through an online portal and use USPS-approved envelopes with USPS authorized to reject ballots from noncomplying states. The Court found the government unlikely to succeed in challenging the injunction and said it had not met the requirements for emergency relief. States were unlikely to be able to meet the new requirements in time for the November elections, and the USPS system could have blocked hundreds of thousands of legal ballots from being mailed. States may continue distributing and processing mail ballots under existing procedures, including in states where ballots are already being mailed. The ruling applies only to the 2026 elections and does not permanently invalidate the rule. Litigation continues over whether the president and federal agencies may impose such requirements in future elections without Congressional authorization.
EPA Repeals Most Greenhouse Gas Limits for Power Plants
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a partial repeal of the 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards effective November 16. The rule eliminates all federal greenhouse gas limits for existing coal, oil, and natural gas-fired steam-generating units, including carbon capture requirements for coal plants. It also repeals standards for coal plants undergoing major modifications. Initial efficiency standards for new natural gas turbines remain in place. Separately, the EPA proposed rescinding its 2015 finding that greenhouse gas emissions from power plants endanger public health. If finalized, the proposal would eliminate all remaining greenhouse gas standards for power plants. Comments are due November 2. The EPA estimates the repeal saves approximately $310 billion in compliance costs over 20 years, but it did not factor costs associated with climate change, including infrastructure and health costs. Earlier this year, the administration also repealed standards that had limited power plant emissions of toxic heavy metals, such as mercury, lead, and arsenic, despite their documented harmful impacts, especially on low-income communities. These moves come amid soaring energy prices due to increased power consumption by data centers and the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
New Fixed Time Limits for Foreign Students, Exchange Visitors, and Journalists Blocked
A federal court temporarily blocked a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule on Monday, one day before it was scheduled to take effect. The rule would have replaced the longstanding “duration of status” system with fixed authorized stay periods for foreign students, exchange visitors, and journalists. Under the rule, most F visa holders would have been limited to four-year stays, J visa holders to four years, and I visa journalists to 240 days, with extensions required for anyone needing more time. The judge found DHS relied on “exceptionally weak” national security and fraud-prevention rationales and failed to adequately consider less burdensome alternatives. Approximately 1.6 million people hold F visas and 500,000 hold J visas, with doctoral and other long-term program students particularly affected. The judge found the rule would likely reduce international enrollment, impose hundreds of millions in costs on research universities, and cause damage to the higher-education system and U.S. economy he described as “catastrophic.” The ruling applies nationwide and preserves the existing system while the legal challenge continues.
New Tracker Identifies Up to $177 Billion in Disrupted Federal Grants
The States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness released the Lost Funds tracking tool identifying up to $177 billion in federal grants the Trump administration has eliminated, frozen, or delayed since the start of the president’s second term. The identified funding represents nearly 10 percent of all federal discretionary spending authorized by Congress and affects all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Health, nutrition, environmental protection, and disaster relief accounted for the largest share of disruptions, with examples including maternal health grants in Michigan, education research in Mississippi, and assistance for minority farmers in Iowa. Courts have blocked many of the administration’s grant cuts, and the tracker will be updated to reflect future court actions. The scale and unpredictable manner of disruptions to funding are unprecedented and have eliminated programs around the country while creating ongoing uncertainty for states and organizations receiving federal grant funding.