Immigrants

Summary of Impacts

Project 2025 recommends reducing environmental regulations on business which will lead to higher emissions and environmental harm. It suggests withdrawing from international environmental agreements which will lead to the breakdown of global efforts to fight climate change. It aims to cut funding for research into climate change and renewable energy, weakening future technological innovation.

Key Quotes

“Remove the U.S. from any association with U.N. and other efforts to push sustainable-development schemes connected to food production”
(Bakst 325)

“Revisit the designation of PFAS chemicals as ‘hazardous substances'”
(Gunasekara Page 463)

“Make the design, development, and deployment of new nuclear warheads a top priority.”
(McNamee 430)

Impacts on Immigrants

Project 2025 outlines several plans that could greatly affect immigrants. One major change is increasing immigration enforcement. This means hiring more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, expanding detention centers, and speeding up deportations. These actions could lead to more frequent raids, which would cause fear and anxiety in immigrant communities. Undocumented immigrants might be too scared to seek help or access essential services because they fear being detained or deported.

Another change involves making it harder for people to come to the U.S. legally. The playbook suggests raising the criteria for visa applications and limiting family-based immigration. This could separate families for longer periods and make it tougher for people fleeing persecution to gain asylum. With stricter rules and fewer visa options, many hopeful immigrants may find it more challenging to move and stay in the United States legally.

Additionally, Project 2025 proposes reducing immigrants’ access to public benefits such as healthcare and housing assistance. The playbook supports expanding the definition of “public charge,” which would make it harder for immigrants to qualify for these benefits without jeopardizing their immigration status. This could lead to increased hardship, poorer health outcomes, and greater economic instability for immigrant families. Enhanced border security measures, like building more barriers and adding more Border Patrol agents, aim to prevent illegal crossings but could also make it harder for asylum seekers to present their cases at border entry points, putting them in more dangerous situations. Overall, these policies could create harsher living conditions for both undocumented and legal immigrants in the U.S.

Quotes from the Mandate

Page numbers refer to the Mandate for Leadership PDF

“End parole abuse by legislating specific parole standards.” (General Welfare, Dept. of Homeland Security, Page 178)

USCIS currently has parole standards as outlined here. Additionally, contained within that link is information about how CBP and ICE work with USCIS in terms of granting parole and each agency’s jurisdiction over parole requests. The policy called for in the Mandate already exists and is superfluous.

“The Secretary should make it clear that he or she will not use the Secretary’s existing discretionary authority to increase the number of H-2B (seasonal non-agricultural) visas above the statutorily set cap[1]. (General Welfare, Dept. of Homeland Security, Page 170)

The current cap for a fiscal year is set to issue 66,000 visas with 33,000 issued between January 1 and June 30 and the remaining 33,000 issued July 1 through December 31. The largest percentage of visas are issued to landscaping and groundskeeping with the second largest number issued in forestry[2]. Other industries such as meat and fish processing, construction and recreation would equally be affected. [2] Fact Sheet on H-2B Visas

“Overturn every immigration decision rendered by Attorney General Garland… [and reinstate] every rule related to immigration that was issued during the Trump Administration” (General Welfare, Dept. of Justice, Page 599)

These policies would likely make it more difficult for victims of domestic violence and gang violence to apply for asylum. For more information on possible policy changes described here, see this guide to Trump’s immigration policies (and an analysis of how those policies performed).

“Mandate that all new federal contracts require at least 70 percent of the contractor’s employees to be U.S. citizens, with the percentage increasing to at least 95 percent over a 10-year period… [and] must amend the law so that employers can again have the freedom to make hiring Americans a priority.” (General Welfare, Dept. of Labor, Page 644)

There are already laws prohibiting unauthorized workers from working on a federal contracts. This policy would go further by excluding workers who are authorized to work in the United States but aren’t U.S. Citizens (Green Cards or H-1B visas, for example). The Trump Administration issued an executive order mandating this policy in 2020, but its implementation was complex.
The flip side of “Freedom to make hiring Americans a priority” is discrimination against work-authorized non-US citizens. The author appears to be advocating to overturn the Immigration and Nationality Act (prohibits discrimination based on visa status), although the law the author references in their footnote is the Immigration Reform & Control Act of 1986 (made it illegal to hire unauthorized workers).

“Cap and phase down the H-2A visa program. Congress should immediately cap this program at its current levels and establish a schedule for its gradual and predictable phasedown over the subsequent 10 to 20 years, producing the necessary incentives for the industry to invest in raising productivity, including through capital investment in agricultural equipment, and increasing employment for Americans in the agricultural sector.” (General Welfare, Dept. of Labor, Page 643)

The requirements for an H-2A visa explicitly state that employers must demonstrate that there are not enough available, qualified U.S. workers for the positions (and that hiring them won’t adversely affected wages or working conditions).
This policy could lead to labor shortages in the agricultural sector, potentially harming the industry and increasing costs for consumers. Additionally, it is harmful to immigrants, particularly those who rely on the H-2A visa program for temporary agricultural work. By capping and phasing down the program, it limits the opportunities for these workers, many of whom come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Add a citizenship question.” (The Economy, Dept. of Commerce, Page 712)

Adding a citizenship question to the census will discourage immigrant households from returning a census form. This would cause populations to be underreported which would impact government funding for roads, fire departments, police departments, hospitals, and similar agencies. Many of the arguments in favor of adding a citizenship question center around distinguishing between undocumented immigrants and everyone else. But experts say a citizenship question is unnecessary – we have reliable methods of estimating undocumented immigrants without the census.