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Immigration Report
USRESIST NEWS presents a special report on Immigration Policy. This report entails the immigration policy briefs by our news team over the last 6 months.
The Downsizing of Student Learning Assessments (Education Policy Brief #208)
As the Trump Administration carries out its crusade to reduce the size of government, one of the targets has been the Department of Education (DOE). The DOE is made up of a number of agencies and offices that have been severely impacted by these actions, one of which is the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).
The U.S. Government Turns the Other Cheek to Resolving the Israel–Palestinian Conflict (Foreign Policy Brief #215)
Under the Trump administration, U.S. policy has shifted in tone, language, and substance: Washington has openly embraced Israeli priorities while sidelining Palestinian rights and claims. What had long been presented as a balancing act—security guarantees for Israel paired with a rhetorical commitment to Palestinian statehood—has become a policy that favors one side almost exclusively.
Suggestions for the Democratic 2026 Mid-Term Platform
The 2026 mid-term elections offer the Democratic party an opportunity to regain control of the House and Senate. However, Democrats face an uphill battle challenged by Trump policies, anti-Democratic rhetoric, internal divisions, and political maneuvers such as re-districting. To address these challenges the Democratics need to articulate a political platform with issues that resonate with voters. While the need in every race is to prioritize concerns of local communities, a set of party-wide policy priorities that can be adapted to fit local needs would be helpful.
The Texas and California Re – Districting Fight Explained
At the end of July 2025 President Trump suggested that Texas should re – district (or, redraw) their state congressional map prior to the 2026 general election. Trump’s purpose in suggesting a redraw of the map was to add five more reliably Republican districts in Texas. This would likely give the Texas congressional delegation five additional members of the House of Representatives in Washington. Texas Governor Greg Abbott then called a special session of the Texas State Legislature to consider the issue and issue a new map ahead of the 2026 elections.
Duped by Putin for months on end, Trump must now hold the line on Russia (Foreign Policy Brief #212)
Trump’s egregious pre-election claim that he could “end the war in a day” between Russia and Ukraine has instead resulted in Russia’s huge surge of attacks on Ukraine and an increasing number of civilian deaths. While Trump often tries to deflect his responsibility for handling this war onto past U.S. presidents, he is now in fact the commander in chief and must take action to support an ally in Ukraine, help prevent further carnage, and demonstrate American democratic mettle vis-a-vis a ruthless dictator in Putin.
Peace Prizes and Bombs: The Theater of Trump’s Nobel Pursuit (Foreign Policy Brief #211)
In the summer of 2025, President Donald Trump became the centerpiece of a surreal global spectacle: a campaign to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded Trump for supposedly brokering stability in conflict zones, and Cambodia’s deputy prime minister praised him for his role in a temporary ceasefire with Thailand. The White House eagerly embraced this narrative, touting Trump as a global peacemaker and repeatedly pointing to “six major conflicts” that he allegedly helped resolve.
South Sudan: Oil and Matches (Foreign Policy Brief #210)
South Sudan is the youngest country in the world in terms of its autonomous foundation. Once part of Sudan, it achieved semi-autonomy in 2005 after years of brutal civil war as part of its now northern neighbor. Eventually, under referendum, the people of South Sudan voted for absolute autonomy in 2011, legally breaking away from Sudan.
Trump FTC Deletes Click to Cancel Rule (Technology Policy Brief #154)
Few people are likely to miss the click-to-cancel rule. Consumers won’t, since they never had a chance to enjoy it, and businesses won’t because they hated it. The rule, which would have required all sorts of online businesses to make it easy for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships, was blocked by a federal appeals court just days before it was set to go into effect, a ruling that is unlikely to be appealed. Trump opposes consumer protections and is reshaping the FTC to carry forward his pro-business agenda.
Third Party Possibilities
The United States is currently in the throes of a political transformation, one being driven mostly by President Donald Trump and his allies in the Republican Party. However, there is a part of this transformation that revolves instead around the opposition Democratic Party.
While American politics has always been a two party-system, those two parties have often evolved and morphed into newer editions, either through assimilating smaller parties or through complete rebrands. Third-parties have long struggled to gain a foothold in the political sphere, both because of the electoral college and because of the sheer financial and cultural power of a two-party system.
The Democrats themselves used to be the Republican Party in terms of its platform, and before that it was known as the Whig Party. Today, as the Democratic Party of the last century grapples with its place in politics, there are a handful of contenders out there who might be able to take advantage of this instability and become the new main opposition party.
Analysis
Firstly, there are a lot of hurdles to an actual third party entering politics. Outside of the pushback from the mainstream parties, who wouldn’t want their voters siphoned away, the process of becoming a federally recognized party involves getting an enormous number of signatures from citizens as well as a huge financial backing. It would also require skilled lawyers to navigate the intentionally complicated and restrictive state-by-state laws regarding third-parties.
But logistics aside, and with a record-high 43% of Americans identifying as independents, who are the main contenders? Broadly speaking, they can be split into two categories: those to the right of Democrats, and those to the left. Those to the right have far more media attention and financial backing, so they include some names that might be familiar.
The ever-present Libertarians are still around, despite their popularity having peaked in the early 2000s. They might be the most dug-in party on this list, with a policy platform that focuses on reducing government influence as much as possible and focusing on personal freedoms, alongside laissez-faire capitalism.
Libertarians stand to gain ground for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they are ingrained in American politics simply by being around for over 50 years. Secondly, with Donald Trump’s government swinging its weight around, attacking independent institutions and academia, the party could become a haven for voters who want to swing the pendulum of government influence the other way.
On the other hand, many libertarians lean Republican, so they may end up simply migrating over to the Republican Party. Additionally, as Trump has shown, welfare cuts are generally unpopular in the United States, and a party that wants the smallest government possible may not be appealing to those who recently lost access to Medicare and Medicaid.
Another option is the America Party, founded and touted by billionaire Elon Musk after his falling-outwith Donald Trump. It is his attempt to find support amongst disillusioned Republicans and Independents who want to remain on the right-end of politics while not being Republican. However, Musk thus far has taken no steps to formally found the America Party, and it likely was a knee-jerk reaction to rejection from MAGA.
However, his super PAC, which has already given millions to republicans ahead of the midterms and in previous elections, is still active. Last year, it gave $200 million to help elect Trump, so in lieu of a formal party, Musk could use his immense wealth to forge the Republican Party to his interests. Alternatively, he could instead turn to the left and mold the Democratic Party instead, but polling suggests he’d find more success drawing from Republican voters.
There are a handful of other parties on the right, like Andrew Yang’s Forward Party, although it hasn’t been up to much since its 2022 founding. If the Democrats decided to shift to the right, and assimilate one of these parties, it would represent a historical shift in America’s Overton Window, which is the range of policies that a country is willing to accept. However, the sheer influence of MAGA and Donald Trump has left little room for parties that are right-of-center to gain ground.
What is more likely for the Democrats to do is undergo a transformation that looks left instead of right. The parties to the left of the Democrats do have a chance of taking their mantle, as there is popular support for their policies, from taxing the wealthy to implementing free or subsidized transportation and reducing military and police spending. Zohranm Mamdani’s popularity in the New York mayoral race is a prime example.
His back-up party, should he have lost the Democratic primary, would have been the Working Families Party. The WFP has been around since 1998, coalesced around pocketbook issues and labor unions in New York, and now has chapters in 21 states, including California. They have recently endorsed a wide array of state and local candidates across the country, and their strong economic message paired with union representation could help them reach across the aisle and garner support from the right as well.
Interestingly, the WFP has recently clashed with the DNC, with union leaders demanding change from the Democrats, to no avail yet. There have also been union leaders quitting their D.N.C. posts in recent months as well. Allegiance among union members to the Democrats is both split and increasingly unpopular, but it also grants them a door into the ballot boxes of Democratic voters, as in many cases WFP and Democratic candidates cross-endorse each other. The WFP candidates also can run as Democrats first, and wield the party’s substantial election apparatus to get campaign support.
Another party that follows a similar framework is the Democratic Socialists of America. An explicitly left-wing organization that backs policies slightly more to the left of the WFP, they already have many candidates running for and in office across the country. However, like the WFP, they lack substantial support from the entirety of America, and have yet to truly be a political force.
This is in large part because democratic socialism, while less extreme than both socialism and communism, is immediately a massive negative marketing factor in America. While it is very popular with young voters, it is very unpopular with the older voting blocs, representing a massive hurdle to widespread support. The historical weight of socialism is still widely seen as destabilizing and an unknown that is a touch too scary to vote for.
DSA candidates also run as and cross-endorse Democrats, using their system to their own campaign’s benefits. But the real question for both the WFP and the DSA still is hard to answer.
Should they stay running their candidates under Democrat banners, and try to wield the Democratic establishment’s significant fundraising and campaign support to get their candidates into office, at the expense of their own party’s recognition? Or do they go it alone, and leave the old guard behind to keep enough distance from a party that is increasingly unpopular?
At the moment, none of these parties truly pose a substantial threat to the Democrats. The DNC is still the sole opposition party by a huge margin. But if Democrats run into trouble in the midterms from the left instead of the right, and those third parties manage to get at least 5% of the popular vote, they would become eligible for federal funding.
This would give them a foothold in the political world and give voters a sense that this new party can, in-fact garner decent support. If that happens, then it may slowly begin siphoning support away from the Democrats until they fully recover from their 2024 election loss.
Engagement Resources
- Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization researching every official’s and candidate’s voting records and policy platforms.
- Run For Something is an organization focused on fostering young and progressive campaigns across the nation.
- The Working Families Party and the DSA are both left-wing organizations fielding candidates in a wide range of local elections.
Quantity Over Justice: The Coming ICE Expansion (Immigration Policy Brief #190)
Immigration Policy Brief #190 | Morgan Davidson | July 24, 2025
If you have been following the news surrounding Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” one of the provisions you would see is the $170 billion for immigration enforcement & border security. Of this $170 billion, approximately $75 billion represents an increase in funding to ICE, making it the highest-funded law enforcement branch of the federal government. The funding for ICE is intended to build more detention centers, aid in retention through bonuses, & expand the total number of personnel.
This brief focuses on the latter part of that equation: the increase in ICE agents. With the money allocated & goals advanced by the President, ICE is expected to recruit 10,000 new agents in addition to the roughly 6,000 current deportation officers. Specifically, this brief addresses where these people will come from, how they will be trained, how they will be used, how they will be held accountable, & what, if any, need there is for an additional influx of ICE agents.
Analysis
Where will the recruits come from? The answer to this is multifaceted. ICE will target new recruits, both male & female, & seek to entice recent retirees back into the field with signing bonuses for both. This approach allows the agency, which started up in 2003 after the Homeland Security Act following 9/11, to return former employees & pick up fresh faces, but meeting the 10,000 new personnel goal will be challenging. ICE agents must be at least 21 & no older than 37 when they apply. Further, ICE agents can retire at any age with 25 years of service or at age 50 with at least 20 years of service.
Below is a sample job description with experience requirements for the lowest level deportation officers obtained from USA JOBS.
“As a Deportation Officer at the Entry Level you will work with more experienced officers to provide support and perform the following segments of work related to immigration investigation, custody, identification and location, arrest, prosecution and deportation:
- Assist with the apprehension of individuals that are accused of violating immigration or related laws;
- Assist with preparing investigative reports in sufficient detail and accuracy to support possible prosecution and/or administrative action;
- Perform law enforcement support duties such as taking fingerprints and photographs;
- Conduct routine interviews using various law enforcement methods and techniques (e.g., observation, interviews, document inspection, data analysis, etc.) to respond to a variety of immigration inquiries and complaints; and
- Document, transport, deport, and/or escort criminal and non-criminal migrants under the guidance of a more senior officer.
- Initiate both criminal and civil prosecutions and deport migrants to foreign countries as well as perform various aspects of custodial operations related to civil immigration enforcement.
Experience: Three (3) years of progressively responsible experience, one year of which was equivalent to the GS-4 level or above in the Federal government. The experience must demonstrate: the ability to analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; plan and organize work; communicate effectively orally and in writing; and deal effectively with others in person-to-person situations. OR-
Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a Bachelor’s degree. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester or 45 quarter hours; OR-
Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for GL-5 and will be computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience requirement; then determining education as a percentage of the education requirement; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent.”
How will they be trained? Anyone who has started a new job or moved knows it takes time to get settled & up to speed in a new role & community. This transition is undoubtedly more pronounced when you need to pass firearms training, become familiar with the laws, pass physical tests, & become an officer of the law. Incoming ICE officers undergo rigorous training, including tactical, legal, & language courses that can take up to a year to complete. This training requires them to spend 20 weeks in Georgia before being assigned to a specific station. While this process sounds tedious, it is crucial that the enforcement agents are properly vetted & know what they are doing to avoid wrongful arrests, deportations, or deaths, as we have seen with the mass deportation efforts already & law enforcement historically.
It is important to note that between 2006 & 2009, ICE ramped up its hiring efforts & also lowered its hiring standards for two reasons. First, as discussed earlier in the context of retention, many current ICE employees will be reaching retirement age, either with 20 years of service at age 50 or with 25 years of experience, which will decrease the active number of ICE agents. Second, we will likely see the same process play out here, where the vetting & training process for recruits is reduced to some extent. This probable reduction in background checks & training for recruits will likely result in a similar increase in arrests for misconduct, as found by the Associated Press during the recruitment push with lower standards from 2006 to 2009. While ICE has yet to lower its hiring standards, the political pressure from the President & the challenges in hiring make the lowering of standards something to keep an eye out for & future problems that may cause.
How will they be used? The initial version of the increased funding specified that the new 10,000 employees would be utilized as deportation officers. The final Senate version retained the 10,000 number but expanded the scope of employment. We will focus on the deportation officers that the President initially wanted before branching out to other alternative avenues. According to ICE, a deportation officer is responsible for the “arrest, transportation, detention, case management and removal of undocumented aliens.” Primarily, these officers are used for arresting those here illegally & play a significant role in aiding the administration to meet their arrest & deportation quotas set out by the President. Detention & Deportation Officers play a similar role but also focus more on the research & legal side. They can arrest & transport detainees; however, they also do background research & make the case for deportation in court. Criminal Investigators also conduct research, but their focus is on organizations rather than individuals. Finally, Technical Enforcement Officers aid in the arrests of individuals, specializing in technology, surveillance, & interrogation. Trump’s insistence on the Deportation Officers, the most general of the four career paths, requiring less specific training, reveals that the focus is on a mass of officers to deport people rapidly, rather than recruiting more agents trained in specialized areas. Getting the right people matters less than getting the most people; the administration is focused on quantity over quality regarding arrests & deportations.
As noted above, ICE agents do have quotas of people to arrest. Starting in May of 2025, ICE sent out a quota of 3,000 arrests per day by agents. How does ICE target whom to go after and arrest? Initially, ICE began with known violent offenders & those who law enforcement had already encountered. As the quotas have been issued & increased, we have seen a decline in those with previous criminal records as ICE begins arresting people in mass. We know from the protests in L.A. that ICE agents have been patrolling areas frequented by immigrants, including areas like Home Depots, Lowe’s, & even court buildings where people go for their hearings & green cards. The administration has also resumed the arrests of people at their places of work, such as farms, hotels, construction sites & restaurants, after implementing a short pause due to concerns about how the mass deportation effort has impacted these sectors of the economy, which heavily rely on immigrant workers to fill these positions.
ICE is a national agency since it is part of the Federal government, but has a large regional footprint along border states in places like California, Texas, & Arizona. That said, ICE works across the country & will look to expand with the increased funding & future expansion. We see examples of this with “Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida. Though Florida is not on the Mexican border, it is an allied red state & home to President Trump, making it a prime target for expansion given the political makeup of the state & loyalty to Trump.
ICE collaborates with Border Patrol but not with immigration judges. Both ICE and Border Patrol are components of the Department of Homeland Security. Border Patrol routinely transfers individuals it apprehends at the border to ICE for detention and potential deportation. Additionally, ICE and Border Patrol often operate jointly in certain areas and through task forces focused on transnational crime and immigration enforcement.
That said, while ICE personnel may appear in immigration court, often as witnesses or government attorneys representing DHS, they do not collaborate with immigration judges. ICE enforces immigration laws and conducts arrests, while immigration courts exist to provide individuals the opportunity to present their side of the story. Judges, who work for the Department of Justice, issue independent legal decisions based on the law and the evidence presented, separate from ICE or DHS influence.
How will they be held accountable? What accountability looks like will be handled by the courts & by us, the American people. From the top, Trump has repeatedly excused ICE’s wrongful detentions & deportations, ranging from sending people like Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador to challenging court orders rather than conforming. The Supreme Court so far has largely enabled the President & expanded executive power. Lower courts continue to challenge the unconstitutional aspects of Trump’s mass deportation agenda; however, they can only do so much & for so long. Outside of these avenues, accountability is largely up to the American people, who need to continue to voice their disapproval with Trump’s & ICE’s handling of the mass deportation. The people need to highlight cases where ICE oversteps & highlight stories about members of their communities who are swept up in these raids. The partnership between this administration, the makeup of Congress & the Supreme Court limits the checks coming from the executive, legislative, & judicial branches, leaving it up to the people to speak up & vote these enablers out of office.
Do we need these new ICE officers? Largely, the answer here is no. If you have read my pieces on immigration, then you know that I acknowledge that our immigration system is broken. That said, none of them have advocated for an increase in the number of ICE or Border Patrol agents. We need more judges in immigration courts to hear asylum claims & speed up the immigration process. The backlog is already egregious, & increasing arrests & deportations will only exacerbate this issue, leaving people awaiting their day in court stranded in places like Alligator Alcatraz & under less than ideal conditions. We need comprehensive immigration reform that allows people to flee violence to safety, allows workers to fill vital holes in the economy, & reunites people with their families. The administration’s approach terrorizes communities, tears apart families, & cuts people’s entitlements like social security.
Engagement Resources
- U.S. Government Accountability Office GAO: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, non-partisan agency that works for Congress. Its primary role is to investigate how the federal government spends taxpayer money and to provide Congress and federal agencies with objective, fact-based information to improve government operations and save money. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106233
- Bipartisan Policy Center’s Immigration Reform Proposals: Explore balanced approaches to immigration policy that prioritize security, economic growth, and humanitarian concerns. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/topics/immigration/
- ACLU Know Your Rights: The ACLU outlines the rights of Immigrants in the U.S. https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights
The New Wave of Progressive Politicians is Growing (Elections & Politics Brief #189)
Elections & Politics Brief #189 | Nate Iglehart | July 24, 2025
It has been just over six months since Donald Trump ascended to the presidency, and he and his GOP allies have wasted no time or effort in pushing the United States as far to the right as it can.
Between attacking diversity and equity measures, the media, political enemies, environmental regulations, and labor protections, the right wing of American politics has operated without any meaningful setbacks or defeats from the Democrats. This has been in large part due to the current identity crisis that is plaguing the Democratic Party, which is still reeling from a crushing election loss last year that saw it embrace centrism over progressivism, to no avail.
But while the identity crisis continues, signs are growing that the future of the Democratic Party lies not in the past, focused on wooing independent voters with more conservative ideas with a liberal paint-job, but in embracing the new solutions being put forward by a new generation of leaders.
Analysis
Across the world, there has been a burst of support for far-right governments over the past few years. From Germany and France to Japan and Argentina, the far right is riding high across the world at the moment. But in most of these cases, there has been an interesting counter-balancing effect.
Left-wing and far-left parties have also seen electoral gains in many of the elections in which the far right also gained ground. Germany saw a massive membership surge for its left-wing party, while France’s left wing election support shocked onlookers. In Brazil, after far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro left office in 2022, the nation brought back leftist ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The United States has not been exempt from this trend, although the pendulum is now just beginning to swing back. With Zohran Mamdani’s primary win in the NYC mayoral election, the power of embracing progressive politics has been on full display.
In Minneapolis’ mayoral race, the Democratic Party has already begun testing the waters with new candidates. For the first time in 16 years, the party endorsed a candidate in the race. But to many people’s surprise, it wasn’t the incumbent Democrat Jacob Frey. Instead it was another young, Muslim, democratic socialist: State Senator Omar Fateh.
His main policies echo Mamdani’s, with a focus on an additional tax for affordable housing, rent stabilization, and a $20 minimum wage alongside protections for Uber drivers. While Fateh doesn’t have the scandal-ridden fields of opponents that Mamdani did, he still has an endorsement, momentum, and a platform that is popular at the moment. He also, importantly, has allies on the city council, where socialists hold 4 of the 13 seats.
City councils are becoming the testing labs for policies like these across the country. Another place that is seeing a left-wing surge is Portland, where voters elected 4 left-wing city councilors, a third of the whole council. Angelita Morillo, a Democratic Socialist, is one of them.
She is pushing for free garbage pickup, fareless buses and trains, government-run grocery stores with price control. Alongside her three comrades, she has consistently backed policies in line with those of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
These names are a handful of thousands running in races across the country. Organizations like the DSA have historically seen their numbers grow under Trump’s administration first term , and this time around they’ve has seen similar levels of rapid growth, much of which has been driven by new members in New York City after Mamdani’s popularity exploded. From Seattle and Detroit to Atlanta, the DSA has candidates in a host of races. And that is just one left-wing organization.
Fateh and Morillo are both newcomers to the scene, and their elections are just drops in a progressive wave flowing across the nation. But there are also progressives in office right now who have successful track records and the support of their constituents.
For example, Michelle Wu, the mayor of Boston, currently enjoys a 61% approval rating after four years tightening environmental standards and building affordable housing units. Even while some of her other policy goals, like rent control and a completely free public transportation system have stalled, she is seemingly still the choice in the mayoral race.
Another place that has seen successful progressive leadership has been Gabriel Sanchez, a House Representative in Georgia and the first Democratic Socialist lawmaker in Georgia history. He beat both the Republican candidate, winning over 60% of the vote, and the incumbent Democrat in the party primary by calling for a $20 minimum wage, statewide Medicare for All, and staunchly anti-Israel rhetoric.
While most of these election wins remain at the local level, a progressive wave is beginning to swell, and it is only a matter of time before it becomes a force in American politics. The Democratic Party now faces a pivotal choice: to either adapt to this new political reality and act to balance out the far-right federal government, or adapt to what seems to be the growing will of a people tired of politics-as-usual.
Engagement Resources
- Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization researching every official’s and candidate’s voting records and policy platforms.
- Run For Something is an organization focused on fostering young and progressive campaigns across the nation.
- The Working Families Party and the DSA are both left-wing organizations fielding candidates in a wide range of local elections.
The Democratic Push for the Release of the Epstein Files (Elections & Politics Brief #190)
There has been deep curiosity, unsettling truths, and controversies surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and the Epstein files. The public has been pushing for and putting pressure on the Trump Administration to release the documents. Democrats, however, are making efforts to disclose the Epstein files. On July 23rd, a House subcommittee voted 8-2 to subpoena the Department of Justice for the Epstein files.
Analysis
Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy American financier who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The Epstein files are Epstein’s documents, such as flight logs and contacts, depositions, images, videos of his victims, some minors, and also images and videos of child pornography. The flight logs had already been released online and are accessible to view along with the other documents that were released in the first phase of the Epstein files. There were also discussions about a potential client list that allegedly listed high-profile clients that Epstein had allegedly trafficked young girls to. However, according to the Department of Justice and FBI memo, it has been confirmed that the Department and the FBI found no evidence of a client list.
There are sealed files that have yet to be made public, which contain additional images, videos, notes, messages, and identifying information about the victims. These documents are what were voted on to be subpoenaed. To protect the victims, the House subcommittee has agreed to redact their names and personal information.
Engagement Resources
- White House under pressure to release documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case https://www.npr.org/2025/07/24/nx-s1-5477656/white-house-under-pressure-to-release-documents-from-the-jeffrey-epstein-case
- House subcommittee votes 8-2 to subpoena Justice Department for Epstein files https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-subcommittee-votes-8-2-to-subpoena-justice-department-for-epstein-files
- What are the Jeffrey Epstein files and will they be released? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/24/what-are-jeffrey-epstein-documents-trump
The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here’s what could happen next
New Trump Rule Targets The Head Start Program (Education Policy Brief #206)
Education Policy Brief #206 | Yelena Korshunov | August 2, 2025
Earlier this month, on Thursday, July 10, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that children of undocumented immigrants will no longer be allowed to attend Head Start—the free, federally funded program for low-income families that provides education, nutrition, and health services to 800,000 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Head Start is remarkable for enjoying bipartisan support for most of its 60-year existence.
In addition to the Head Start restrictions, the new rule immediately bars all undocumented individuals from accessing a range of federally funded programs, including community health clinics and energy assistance. A policy issued in 1998 had allowed undocumented immigrants to receive certain benefits aimed at low-income families with young children. However, in a recent news release, Kennedy declared that HHS (Health and Human Services) was rescinding that interpretation, limiting access to over a dozen federal programs under the agency’s jurisdiction. “For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,” Kennedy said. “Today’s action changes that — it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.”
Kennedy added that “Head Start grant recipients will be asked to determine eligibility for newly enrolled children based on the immigration status of the child.” However, no clear guidelines accompanied the announcement, causing widespread confusion among local program administrators. The National Head Start Association issued a statement noting that the program has never required proof of immigration status for enrollment. Yasmina Vinci, the association’s executive director, warned: “attempts to impose such a requirement threaten to create fear and confusion among all families who are focused on raising healthy children, ready to succeed in school and life. This decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children and disregards decades of evidence that Head Start is essential to our collective future.”
The announcement has shaken the Head Start community, which hasn’t recovered yet from recent layoffs, funding cuts and threats to terminate the program entirely. Dr. Debra Duardo, L.A. County Superintendent of Schools, said the directive would have “a devastating impact not just on L.A. County, but for families and children across the nation.” “These initiatives have long been the bedrock for children from our most vulnerable communities, offering support, stability, and the opportunity to thrive,” she added.
The damage began months earlier. In April, HHS closed regional offices in Chicago, Boston, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco. In May, delayed Head Start grant approvals disrupted student enrollment across the country. Roughly 800,000 families were left scrambling to find alternative childcare. For many children, Head Start is their only source of fresh meals, climate-controlled classrooms, and early childhood education—including additional developmental support when needed.
Staff at the program were left in limbo. According to Reuters, around 50% of the Office of Head Start’s staff were laid off in April, and all employees at regional offices were dismissed. Casey Peeks, senior director of Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress, noted:“We’re also seeing a lot of chaos and panic among Head Start staff. They don’t know if their jobs are as secure as they once were, which is really causing a problem, because it’s not just Head Start, but across the early childhood sector there is a workforce shortage and these types of concerns, lack of reliability, it really doesn’t help with the retention issues that are already a problem in normal circumstance.”
Following Kennedy’s announcement, twenty states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits challenging the directive. In response, the federal government argued the rule was necessary to “ensure that public resources are no longer used to incentivize illegal immigration.”
Yet many advocates urge caution. Melissa Boteach, chief policy adviser for Zero to Three—a national nonprofit focused on the healthy development of babies and toddlers —said: “There’s still a lot of confusion about what exactly it means, and we’re encouraging people not to take action until there’s more guidance or clarity on who exactly it affects and what the Head Start programs are required to do.”
As of now, the Trump administration has temporarily paused enforcement of the policy barring undocumented children from attending Head Start programs.
Engagement Resources
- Head Start, https://headstart.gov/
- Trump Admin. Pauses Ban on Undocumented Kids in Head Start in These States, https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/trump-admin-pauses-ban-on-undocumented-kids-in-head-start-in-these-states/2025/07
- Head Start faces new worries about its future with Trump, GOP, https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5420965-trump-administration-cuts-head-start/
- Trump administration violated the law by withholding some Head Start funds, congressional watchdog findshttps://cbsnews.com/news/trump-head-start-funds-congressional-watchdog/
The Week That Was: Global News in Review (Foreign Policy Brief #209)
Foreign Policy Brief #209 | Abran C | August 1, 2025
Two-year-old Yazan, severely malnourished, lives in the Shati (Beach) refugee camp in Gaza City. His mother, Naima, says, “We have not had flour or any food assistance for two months.” Yazan sits on a torn piece of foam, his wide eyes heavy with exhaustion, his thin body clearly showing signs of acute hunger. Malnutrition has spread rapidly among children in the Gaza Strip, with rates in Gaza City rising fourfold since February. UNICEF/UNI838255/El Baba
Israel’s blockade and starvation in Gaza
Palestinians in Gaza are now experiencing full blown famine as the total Israeli blockade, which for months made the extreme situation in the strip even worse as no food, water, medicine or fuel has been allowed to make its way into the strip. International humanitarian aid organizations, the UN and a majority of countries around the world acknowledge the forced starvation taking place in Gaza and expressed condemnation towards the Israeli government. Meanwhile various Israeli officials continue to deny the existence of mass starvation, claiming without evidence that Hamas steals and hoards aid and hinges blame on failures by the UN and its officials.
Following the barring of the UN and the criticism of its complete blockade of aid, Israel implemented a new humanitarian aid organization, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) , a controversial organization whose aid delivery model does not follow established humanitarian principles of neutral, independent, impartial, and safe aid distribution. It is estimated that the IDF at GHF sites have killed over 1,000 people at aid distribution sites since it began operations. Israel has also banned fishing and patrols the waters along Gaza’s coast to ensure no boats are launched from the shore. Some of Israel’s most important Western allies, under political pressure from voters appalled by mounting evidence of forced starvation in Gaza, now say that they will recognize a Palestinian state. In response to the international condemnation Israeli PM Netanyahu has promised only “minimal” aid would be allowed to enter. Yet the number of food trucks entering the territory is still well below the minimum needed to feed Palestinians there, much less reverse a famine.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet (L) and Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai shake hands as Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim puts his arms around them after announcing the ceasefire on Monday. Mohd Rasfan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Thailand-Cambodia border conflict
Last week fighting flared up between Thailand and Cambodia after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes and both countries recalled their ambassadors. Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia, with an exception only for migrant Cambodian workers returning home. At least 35 people have been killed, over 200 injured, and more than 200,000 displaced since the fighting broke out.
Thailand and Cambodia have engaged militarily on and off for decades over un-demarcated areas along their 508-mile border, with ownership of ancient temples central to the disputes. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thai PM Phumtham Wechayachai both attended a peace summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that was co-organized by China with the backing of the United States. Soon after the meeting Thailand and Cambodia reached a shaky ceasefire deal that was then quickly broken with both sides accusing the other of launching attacks in the other’s territory, though after the quick flare up in attacks both sides have since reaffirmed their commitment to the ceasefire and time will reveal if it holds or falls apart.
A man attempts to cool off during a heatwave in Iran’s capital Tehran [File: Atta Kenare/AFP]
Iran’s extreme heatwave and water crisis
Published On 20 Jul 2025
Last week Iran experienced its hottest week of the year, according to the national meteorological service, with temperatures exceeding 120 degrees fahrenheit (50c) in some areas. On top of the extreme heat, Iran is in the middle of a serious water crisis. The country has been in drought for five years, with rainfall even lower this year. The minister of energy, Abbas Aliabadi, announced last week that negotiations to import water from Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were underway. The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, issued a stark warning during a recent cabinet meeting saying, “The water crisis is more serious than what is being discussed today, and if we do not take urgent action now, we will face a situation in the future for which no remedy can be found.”
Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Colombian President Gustavo Petro attend the Democracy Always summit, in Santiago, Chile, July 21, 2025 (AP photo by Esteban Felix)
Chile’s Democracy Summit
On July 21, leaders from five countries gathered in Santiago, Chile, with the aim of propelling a global battle against the rising anti-democratic far right. In attendance was Chilean President Gabriel Boric, President Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, Uruguay’s President Yamandu Orsi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Though small, the group has committed to holding further summits and expanding participating countries and bringing forth proposals to be presented to the wider international community at the next UN General Assembly meeting in New York in September. Spain’s PM Sanchez saidat the meeting that, “Our societies face a real threat led by a coalition of interests between oligarchs and the far-right” – a coalition of “hatred and lies that is advancing dangerously.”
Tsunami-hit Severo-Kurilsk on Paramushir island in Russia’s northern Kuril Islands. Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences / AFP via Getty Images
Earthquake in Russia and tsunami alert for nations on the Pacific
A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck last week off Russia’s remote Far East and sparked tsunami warnings and evacuations across the Pacific. Following the main quake dozens of aftershocks of magnitude 5 or greater were recorded. The quake itself was one of the strongest ever recorded and occurred along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the ring of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where more than 80% of the world’s largest quakes occur as several tectonic plates meet there. Multiple countries situated in the Pacific or with coasts along the Pacific, from Russia to Tahiti to Chile, braced for impact. While not all earthquakes lead to tsunamis, this one coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula generated a series of them spreading outward from its epicenter towards other territories. Though thankfully after hours of tension and evacuations no major damage was reported and the waves had limited impact upon reaching land.
A Review and Analysis of the Health Policies of RFK Jr. (Health & Gender Policy Brief #181)
Health & Gender Policy Brief #181 | Inijah Quadri | July 26, 2025
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., confirmed on February 13, 2025, as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Trump administration, launched a sprawling “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda targeting chronic illness, food quality, and vaccine policy. His platform positions ultra‑processed foods (UPFs) and environmental toxins as primary drivers of America’s health crisis. Prominent proposals include banning UPFs in schools, nursing homes, and prisons; eliminating synthetic food dyes; restricting SNAP purchases of junk food; and overhauling the quintennial Dietary Guidelines to emphasize whole, minimally processed foods.
On infectious disease, Kennedy has already initiated major shifts: halting recommendations for COVID‑19 vaccines for healthy pregnant individuals and children; firing all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP); rescinding CDC flu‑vaccine campaigns aimed at informed messaging; and delaying a COVID‑pill trial.
He has also pursued deep structural changes—cutting roughly 20,000 HHS positions, defunding flood‑prone chronic‑illness research in favor of lifestyle factors, and disrupting federal agencies including NIH, NIOSH, and CDC. His approach has alarmed many public health experts and advocates.
Analysis
Kennedy’s strategy tackles chronic disease by reframing public health priorities. His focus on diet and environmental toxins resonates with progressive calls for confronting corporate influence in the food and chemical sectors. Proponents argue that addressing obesity, diabetes, and mental illness through nutrition and prevention aligns with long‑standing calls for systems‑level reform . His administration has already directed FDA to phase out petroleum‑based dyes and Red 3, signaling potential transformation of national dietary guidelines.
Yet, these efforts are overshadowed by his unsettling embrace of anti‑scientific narratives around vaccines and pharmaceuticals. The May 2025 CDC decision advising healthy pregnant women and children against COVID‑19 vaccination and halting CDC flu‑vaccine outreach may drastically undermine immunization rates. Lawsuits filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and allied organizations underscore the severity of this pivot. The abrupt dismissal of ACIP raises urgent questions about politicization and trust in federal health agencies.
Kennedy’s institutional shake‑ups further intensify concern. Large‑scale layoffs at CDC, NIH, and NIOSH threaten critical functions in disease surveillance, worker safety, and crisis preparedness . While framed as reallocating resources to “frontline services,” experts warn this may hollow out systemic capacity in emergency response. Public sentiment reflects this worry: Pew surveys indicate 72 % of Democrats disapprove of his performance, including 83 % of liberal Democrats; overall public view skews negatively.
MAHA’s first commission report on childhood chronic illness, released May 22, 2025, raised eyebrows for citing weak or non‑existent studies, a likely consequence of unvetted AI‑generated references—undermining its credibility. While progressive priorities like tighter food regulation and prevention are shared across the left, they are compromised by Kennedy’s anti‑vaccine posture and general dismissal of peer-reviewed science. His strategy appears inconsistent: leveraging public health rhetoric when it suits his food agenda, while sowing doubt when it challenges his ideological commitments.
As a progressive observer, it’s important to critique while acknowledging genuine efforts to tackle corporate influence in health. However, the erosion of immunization norms, the hollowing out of institutions, and reliance on conspiracy‑tinged narratives pose serious threats to collective wellbeing, especially among marginalized communities.
RFK Jr.’s agenda straddles populist ambition and scientific undoing. His MAHA platform reflects admirable aims on diet and corporate malfeasance, but these are overshadowed by alarming rollback of vaccine advocacy, deep federal dismantling, and erosion of evidence-based health systems. We all should support prevention-oriented reforms while vigorously opposing the anti-vaccine turn and institutional weakening, safeguarding both short‑term public health and long‑term trust in science.
Engagement Resources
- Children’s Health Defense Watch (https://www.chdwatch.org/): A progressive watchdog tracking RFK Jr.’s public health commission, especially its anti‑vaccine and AI‑generated content.
- Alliance for Science (https://allianceforscience.org/): Provides tools and research supporting vaccine science and counter‑disinformation; offers resources for advocacy in defense of immunization.
- Center for Science in the Public Interest (https://www.cspinet.org/): Monitors corporate influence on nutrition policy, including food additives and UPFs; offers public commentary avenues.
- Public Health Advocacy Institute (https://phai.org/): Focuses on transparency, public interest regulation, and resisting corporate capture in health policy.
- Community Immunity Project (https://communityimmunity.org/): Grounds local action to sustain vaccination coverage amid shifting federal guidance.
The Kenyan Debt Problem: A Tightrope of Austerity (Foreign Policy Brief #211)
Foreign Policy Brief #211 | Damian DeSola | July 25, 2025
On 19 July 2025, the Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was arrested under suspicion of “facilitation of terrorist activities during the June 25, 2025, protests.” He was released on 21 July on a KSh 1m personal bond ($7,723). He was charged not for terrorism, but for possession of two tear gas canisters and a single blank 7.62 bullet. This is not the first time Mwangi was arrested by Kenyan authorities, nor the first time a Kenyan journalist or human rights activist was arrested by federal authorities for similar reasons.
The Kenyan government is becoming increasingly authoritarian as popular protests against increasing costs of living, supposed government corruption, and remembrance of police brutality continually spring up. The President, William Ruto (elected 2022), whose policies much popular ire is focused, publicly ordered police to shoot live rounds at protesters’ legs, while also claiming the protests were “treasonous.” Why are these protests occurring, and why is the government so insecure about its policies? The answers are found in the past ten years of Kenyan financial mismanagement.
How Did We Get Here?
In the early 2010s, Kenya began to execute a strategy to improve its infrastructure in the hopes that these investments would show returns in economic productivity. To do so, Kenya sought foreign investment into projects like railroads and ports. This required in the financialization of Kenyan assets, for example, Kenya famously offered one of its major ports as collateral for a $3.2 billion loan from China to build a railway from Nairobi to Mombasa.
Over time, these investments accumulated into a massive increase in Kenyan public debt. In 2010, the Kenyan public debt to GDP ratio was 36.7%, in 2023 it peaked 73.1%. The annual interest payments on this debt alone cost over 1/3 of Kenya’s yearly revenues. Furthermore, infrastructure built with these investments shows little improvement in economic growth. The lack of returns on these large investments leaves the Kenyan economy financially insecure, with investing nations and organizations asking questions of Kenya’s future solvency.
Teetering at the Edge
To solve their fiscal troubles, the Kenyan government is engaging in austerity policies: put simply, reducing government spending and raising taxes to pay off outstanding debts. Unfortunately for the Kenyan government, and essentially all other nations implementing austerity measures, these policies cause rabid anti-government sentiment among the populace.
In 2024, President Ruto announced an International Monetary Fund-approved finance bill that proposed expansions and increases to various taxes. Over the following week, mass protests occurred across the country, culminating in the storming of Kenya’s Parliament. After the police failed to disperse crowds with tear gas and water cannons, they resorted to live gunfire, resulting in the deaths of five protesters. A day later, President Ruto withdrew the finance bill. This year, Ruto has introduced a new and altered finance bill that is currently being considered.
With poverty rates and cost of living already high, along with a people that already have little trust in government, the Kenyan government faces little public leeway with tax increases. The tax pool is already narrow due to Kenya’s crowding out of public debt, making it difficult for businesses to borrow, spend, and expand; the business environment has pushed out many existing businesses and prevents creation of new businesses. Without taxable industries and an impoverished population, raising money to pay off debt without foreign intervention is implausible. Hence, why the government deem controversial austerity bills that raise taxes absolutely necessary, and why its violent reaction to protestors is increasingly authoritarian.
What is Next?
While the stakes for Kenya’s economy seem dire, there is still potential for recovery. The government has succeeded in slowing expenditure, with a year-on-year increase of only 0.4% from 2023 to 2024. Meanwhile, Kenya is continuing work with the International Monetary Fundand the World Bank for advice and assistance in restructuring and repaying their debts. The government and its people still have a long way to go before escaping their debt trap. May their story be a lesson for other developing nations in the credible risks behind overreliance on loans from rich countries and the folly of spending beyond existing economic capacity.
Engagement Resources
- Learn about Kenya’s humanitarian crisis from the International Rescue Committee
- Donate to help Kenyan youth through Save the Children
Current Abortion Laws and Their Challenge to Bodily Autonomy (Health & Gender Policy Brief #180)
Health & Gender Policy Brief #180 | Naja Barnes | June 27th, 2025
Before the overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24th, 2022, concerns were raised about the potential effects and consequences it would have on reproductive rights. After the overturning, those concerns have come into fruition, and have not only affected the rights to an abortion, but also the rights to bodily autonomy.
Analysis
On January 22nd, 1973, abortion was legalized nationwide in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, Roe v. Wade. This decision allowed women to have the choice of whether or not to terminate their pregnancy, based on the stages of pregnancy, as part of their constitutional right to privacy. This landmark decision indirectly protected a woman’s right to bodily autonomy by allowing her the ability to have a choice in pregnancy and the protection from and of it. Now, with Roe v. Wade overturned, that decision lies solely upon each state, stripping away the autonomy and decision to continue or not continue the pregnancy. As of 2025, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia have banned abortions with the following exceptions: rape, incest, preserving the life of the pregnant person, and medical emergencies.
Abortion bans are not the only way that bodily autonomy is being attacked post-Roe v. Wade. Other forms of reproductive freedom are being attacked as well, such as contraceptives and the ability to protect oneself from pregnancy. In some states, lawmakers have blocked or opposed legislation aimed at protecting the right to contraception. Texas permits parents the ability to deny their minor children access to birth control.
The use of contraceptives is not only to prevent pregnancy but also to treat medical conditions such as complications due to menstrual cycles.
A recent case in Georgia demonstrates the dystopic consequences and harsh reality of overturning Roe v. Wade in the United States. Adriana Smith, 31, suffered a medical condition and was declared brain-dead on February 19th, 2025. During the time she was declared brain-dead, she was also about nine weeks pregnant. Due to Georgia’s strict abortion law, which bans abortions when a heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks, Smith had to be kept on life support to allow the fetus to grow. On June 13th, 2025, an emergency C-section was performed at about six months of gestation, and Smith was taken off life support on June 17th. Smith was declared legally dead, so bodily autonomy no longer applied to her, but in situations of a declared brain-dead patient, bodily decisions are usually given to a next of kin or a legally authorized representative. However, due to Georgia’s abortion laws, the family had no choice in the matter.
Conclusion
Roe v. Wade was a historical decision that protected the lives, rights, and bodily autonomy of pregnant persons and those with a uterus. The decision to overturn it has provoked fear, increased mortality rates of infants and pregnant persons, and minimized the right to bodily autonomy in correlation to pregnancy. Not only will the current abortion laws continue to challenge bodily autonomy, but as demonstrated in the Smith case, these laws have the potential to challenge ethical considerations.
Engagement Resources
- Roe v. Wade: Its History and Impact
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/3013/9611/5870/Abortion_Roe_History.pdf - Supreme Court Overturns Constitutional Right to Bodily Autonomy in Transgressive Reproductive Rights Decision
https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/supreme-court-overturns-constitutional-right-to-bodily-autonomy-in-transgressive-reproductive-rights-decision/#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20historic%20loss%20of%20a,draconian%20penalties%20on%20those%20who%20provide%20access - U.S. Abortion Rights by State
https://www.britannica.com/science/US-abortion-rights-by-state-2236312 - A pregnant brain-dead woman in Georgia was kept on life support. Experts say it raises ethical, legal questions
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/pregnant-brain-dead-woman-georgia-life-support-experts/story?id=122963319
An Energy Sector Stuck Between a Lump of Coal and a Hard Place (Environment Policy Brief #181)
Coal is not going away anytime soon; it remains the dominant source of the world’s electricity. 15% of U.S. electricity is fueled by coal. Globally, it is forecasted that carbon in the form of coal will still contribute 22% of power generation by 2040. In China and India, the reliance upon coal is significantly higher, almost double that of the U.S. and Europe. And for good reasons: it is the most economical, stable, and reliable power source.
The U.S. government under Donald Trump has distanced itself from all international obligations to reduce carbon sources of energy, emphasizing the economic benefits and need for self-reliance that coal (and petroleum, natural gas) meets. Solar and wind are rejected because they are “ugly as hell” and “unsightly garbage” according to President Trump. This characterization stands in contrast to what he refers to as “clean, beautiful coal.” Trump endorses the increased use of nuclear power as well.
At the policy level, the administration has rolled out an America First Energy Agenda. Thus far, this policy has translated into funding (nearly $725 million) the restoration of dilapidated communities that had once been economically coal-driven. Among its principal aims: to bring older, abandoned mines back into production. Led by the Department of the Interior, there are monies to reduce mining hazards and ensure clean water. All this because coal is viewed as a stable provider of “baseload” energy.
Coal, in the form of U.S. exports, is a major source of revenue and as such can be used as a political lever. In particular, China and India purchase large quantities of thermal coal from the U.S. India is an outsized buyer and is dependent on coal for energy intensive industries like brick making. In fact, more thermal coal is exported from the U.S. to Asia than to Europe. Over half of China’s energy demand is met with coal. Metallurgical coal is the raw material for coke, necessary for steel production. Both Egypt and Morocco also receive significant U.S. coal shipments.
As expected, the administration’s First Energy agenda is now the centerpiece of the Department of Energy activities. They are looking to maintain and grow coal powered plants across the country, even when the operators of those plants find it economically disadvantageous to keep them running. The department recently issued an “emergency order” to keep Michigan’s J.H. Campbell coal plant in operation after the plant owner’s intention to close it. That action has brought together eight regional utilities (Midcontinent Independent System Operators – MISO) in a legal fight against the DOE. “This expansive use of emergency powers sets a troubling precedent,” MISO insists, “enabling intervention in routine, state-approved planning decisions without an actual crisis and risks establishing its use to circumvent normal utility, RTO, and state processes, and likely exposes ratepayers to costs that should not be borne.” As with other Trump directives, this one stretches the boundaries of executive power, “eroding the statutory balance between federal and state authority.”
The electric utility industry is carefully treading the line between currying White House favor while fulfilling its obligations to rate payers. Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene’s remarks reflect these often-oppositional forces: “As our state continues to grow and thrive, the approval of this comprehensive plan helps to ensure we have the resources and programs we need to reliably and economically meet the future energy needs of our customers.” In her case, the “plan” referenced is forecasting greatly increased energy demand going forward, mainly due to regional data center growth, and will include the continued operation of two coal plants that had been earmarked for closure.
The energy demand side will accelerate because of AI. (The average AI request consumes roughly ten times the energy of a common google search request). Huge new data centers are being designed and built across the country. In northern Virginia, an epicenter of data center construction, the additional energy required is equivalent to what is needed to power 6 million new homes. Renewable energy sources cannot meet that requirement. That fact has made West Virginia and its coal lobby excited, as is Talen Energy Corporation who plan to continue operating a couple of coal plants outside of Baltimore to help ensure sufficient supply for data center demands. (These plants had been ordered to close by 2028 in a federal court action brought by Sierra Club).
Analysis
The complexities involved in curtailing coal are highlighted by Searles Valley Minerals, a mining and processing plant that produces the raw materials for the manufacture of wind turbine blades, solar panels, pesticides and other products. The production process requires super high temperatures, specifications that cannot currently be met with renewable energy sources. About one half of the world’s energy is used for the heat required in industrial manufacturing and residential heating.
And there are new coal mines to be opened. Wyoming had a ribbon-cutting for the Brook Mine Carbon Ore Rare Earth project on July 11th, their first new coal mine in five decades. Wyoming’s Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, said all the right things: “This is just the beginning of an administration-wide effort to unleash the American mineral development needed to secure U.S. energy dominance, fuel economic growth, and safeguard our national security.” The state of Wyoming pitched-in $155 million for the project.
“I have a hard time understanding how people could think that solar panels are such a desecration of the land while mountaintop mining or drilling for natural gas and crude oil is not,” says Severin Borenstein, University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Energy Institute, reflecting the common-sense confusion of many. Communities do not want coal-fired power plants in their backyards, and not just for aesthetic reasons. While the Biden administration had set new carbon capture and storage regulations for coal-fired power plants, the EPA under Trump has proposed repealing all greenhouse gas emission standards (and carbon capture requirements) for carbon-based power plants.
Even though global dependence upon coal is expected to drop by 1.7 percent over the next year, coal burning in the U.S. will go up. Demand for energy is skyrocketing; in Virginia alone, there are nearly 300 data centers with Amazon’s $35 billion investment leading the growth trend. A new data center typically requires 50 times the power of a similarly sized office building. For the time being, renewables are not going to reliably support that demand.
If we add-in natural gas and oil as carbon sources, the total fossil fuel sources of energy in the U.S. are over 80%. Renewables would have to increase by 600% to replace our use of carbon. And this increase is just to replace carbon; we would still use hydropower and nuclear. America’s largest wind turbine farm is currently under construction off the Virginia coast and at 2,600 megawatts will provide the power equivalent to two nuclear reactors. Other large wind projects have been stalled or are on hold due to cost overruns and supply chain issues. Most wind energy investment is taking place in Europe.
Rather than curtail dirty coal, investment is following federal policies to increase coal use with regulatory barriers coming down and leases on coal tracts going up. DOE is also investing in coal technology modernization, going so far as to invoke emergency powers to keep toxic, mothballed coal plants open for burning. Costs to utilities to keep those plants running though, are exceedingly high versus alternatives such as natural gas and will require federal or state monetary support.
Engagement Resources:
- U.S. White House: Executive Order, Unleashing American Energy: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-american-energy/
- MIT Technology Review: https://www.technologyreview.com/
- Power Magazine: https://www.powermag.com/