📎 Federal Resource Round-Up

As we pass the halfway mark of the federal administration’s first 100 days, the executive branch, Congress, and billionaires continue attacking our communities on multiple fronts all at once: escalating repression of dissenting views, accelerating the mass detention and deportation of immigrants, dismantling vital federal programs, and weaponizing funding to localities.

These assaults are meant to be overwhelming, so our goal for these round-ups is to connect you with key, timely information and resources from Local Progress Impact Lab and partners – and to help you focus on where local power can be effectively leveraged in this moment.

‼️ Action Alert: Demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and protect the right to protest.

This past weekend, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents entered a student residential building at Columbia University in New York and detained Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil. The Trump Administration’s illegal detention of Khalil, who is a U.S. green-card holder and lawful permanent resident, is an extreme attack on the right to speech and dissent protected by the First Amendment and is an abuse of immigration law. The Trump Administration’s actions and statements are intended to chill and suppress opposing viewpoints. We have crossed a line into authoritarianism, and we all need to speak up now. Sign this petition to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil from federal detention.

🎒Protect students in the face of chaos at the Department of Education 

The Department of Education is poised to slash its workforce by more than half as the Trump Administration continues to defund vital public services. This move comes in the wake of Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s announcement that she intends to dismantle the entire department – a blatant attempt to privatize the public education system by cutting programs aimed at providing meals, after-school programs, and special education services to children across the country.

📝 Important guidance regarding federal grant disbursement. 

The federal administration and Elon Musk’s team at the so-called Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) have illegally impounded, canceled, and clawed back millions in federal funds from federal grantees. If you are having issues receiving federal funding, we encourage you to:

• Reach out for technical assistance. Our partners at Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) are providing tailored technical assistance to federal grantees facing issues. Let us know if your jurisdiction is facing such challenges and request support from L4GG using this form.
• Keep detailed records. Preserve all communications and maintain detailed records of all attempts to access funds.
• Determine if a court has already blocked the Trump Administration’s interference with your grant funds. Multiple courts have issued preliminary injunctions temporarily blocking the administration’s interference. If you are having issues, determine if there is a preliminary injunction that orders the federal government to disburse your funds. If so, consider emailing your federal agency contact a copy of the relevant preliminary injunction and notifying them that it is in violation of the court’s order. If you need support with this, please reach out to us at helpdesk@localprogress.org.

📣 Tell Congress to put families over billionaires.

Tomorrow is the deadline for Congress to prevent a government shutdown, yet Republicans are willing to risk it — prioritizing trillions in handouts for billionaire donors over funding for working families who will bear the consequences. The essential services on the chopping block include Medicaid, food assistance, Social Security, and countless others. These cuts jeopardize all of our communities – including people without healthcare, students who have lunch at school, and seniors relying on Social Security – and would shift massive costs to localities.

Now is the time to speak out against these cuts. Next week is Congressional recess, which means your state representatives will be home in your districts. Show up at their office, plan a local action with community partners, and tell them to choose families over billionaires. Use this digital toolkit to speak up and stay tuned for a LP network strategy call in April on budget reconciliation. 

❤️ Defending against escalating assaults on immigrant communities.

The federal administration and right-wing state governments continue to escalate assaults on immigrant communities, attacking sanctuary cities, taking steps to revive and expand registration requirements for non-U.S. citizens, and attempting to pass state legislation forcing localities into cooperating with immigration enforcement agencies. 

What can you do? 

• Continue to pass, strengthen, and enforce policies restricting cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE;
• Ban surveillance technology such as license plate readers that ICE is using to track people even in sanctuary jurisdictions;
• Sign up for an ICE Watch training starting next week, covering non-policy strategies for protecting neighbors and workers from raids;
• Attend National Immigration Law Center three-part webinar series, providing Know Your Rights guidance in schools, hospitals, and protected areas, answers to crowdsourced FAQ, and live office hours; 
  • March 18 @ 1:00-2:00pm ET / 10:00-11:00am PT – Register and submit your question!
  • April 2 @ 1:00-2:00pm ET / 10:00-11:00am PT –  Register and submit your question!
  • April 10 @ 4:00-5:00pm ET / 1:00-2:00pm PT – Register and submit your question!

📍 Reminder

Lastly, if you haven’t downloaded it yet, please review our policy toolkit, Protecting Our Communities and Fighting for Democracy in a Second Trump Administration. All of these recommendations remain valid despite the many EOs. We will be making updates to it in the next few weeks and will keep you posted. If you have questions about implementing these policies, please reach out to us at helpdesk@localprogress.org.

Photo retrieved from The Nation / shot by Barry Williams