Why the Vote Matters

Living With Project 2025 in 2026: How Policy Changes Are Affecting Minority and Vulnerable Communities

By Melissa Duneghy, President, Indiana Democrat African American Caucus (IDAAC)

Every election carries consequences that extend far beyond Election Day. The policies adopted by elected leaders influence healthcare, education, employment, immigration, civil rights, and economic opportunity. In 2026, Americans are living with the effects of policy decisions implemented since January 2025, many of which analysts have linked to recommendations found in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 policy blueprint. Independent analyses have documented substantial overlap between Project 2025 recommendations and executive actions taken throughout 2025.

For minority and vulnerable populations, these changes have had significant implications. African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, immigrants, refugees, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, people with disabilities, and low-income families have all been affected by shifts in federal priorities. Whether viewed as necessary reforms or as reversals of progress, the impact of these changes demonstrates why civic engagement and voting remain essential.

Dismantling Federal Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Programs

One of the administration’s earliest actions was Executive Order 14151, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” The order directed federal agencies to eliminate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs, offices, positions, grants, and initiatives across the federal government.

What the Numbers Show

• Federal agencies were instructed to identify and eliminate DEIA offices, positions, and programs within 60 days.
• Agencies were directed to terminate Chief Diversity Officer positions, Equity Action Plans, and diversity-focused initiatives.
• Federal departments were ordered to review hiring, recruitment, promotion, and training policies to remove DEIA requirements.
• Federal contractors and grantees receiving government funding were required to comply with revised federal guidance.

What Communities Are Experiencing

For many African Americans, women, veterans, and people with disabilities, DEI programs were viewed as tools for reducing barriers to employment and advancement. Civil rights advocates argue that the elimination of these programs may reduce opportunities for historically underrepresented groups. Supporters contend that hiring and promotion decisions should be based strictly on merit rather than demographic considerations.

Rollback of Federal Equity and Civil Rights Initiatives

On January 20, 2025, the administration issued “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” revoking numerous executive orders from the previous administration. Among the most significant were Executive Order 13985, which focused on advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities, and Executive Order 13988, which prohibited discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

What the Numbers Show

• More than a dozen executive orders were rescinded through a single executive action.
• Federal agencies were directed to discontinue programs connected to the rescinded orders.
• The revocations affected policies involving racial equity, LGBTQ+ protections, public health initiatives, and support for underserved populations.

What Communities Are Experiencing

Civil rights organizations have expressed concern that eliminating these directives may reduce federal attention to racial disparities, healthcare inequities, and discrimination. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have raised concerns regarding reduced federal protections. Supporters maintain that existing civil rights laws continue to provide legal protections for all Americans.

Immigration and Refugee Policy Changes

Immigration policy underwent some of the most dramatic changes during 2025. The administration suspended refugee admissions, reinstated the Migrant Protection Protocols (“Remain in Mexico”), ended the CBP One appointment process, and terminated several humanitarian parole pathways.

What the Numbers Show

• Refugee admissions processing was suspended in January 2025.
• Previously approved refugee travel plans were canceled.
• Humanitarian parole programs serving Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan nationals were terminated.
• Additional executive actions affected citizenship, asylum processing, border enforcement, and immigration benefits.

What Communities Are Experiencing

Refugee agencies, churches, and advocacy organizations report increased uncertainty among families seeking reunification, refugee placement, or asylum protection. Legal aid organizations have expanded services to help immigrants navigate changing requirements and enforcement priorities.

Expanded ICE Enforcement

Perhaps no policy change has been more visible than the expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

What the Numbers Show

• ICE reported 32,809 arrests between January 20 and March 10, 2025, averaging approximately 656 arrests per day.
• ICE arrests increased from approximately 8,320 arrests in December 2024 to approximately 29,147 arrests in June 2025, representing roughly 250% increase.
• Researchers documented periods during which ICE conducted more than 1,000 arrests per day.
• ICE detention populations reached approximately 70,000 to 73,000 detainees by late 2025.
• More than 300,000 ICE arrests were recorded nationwide during 2025.
• Nearly half of ICE arrests occurred through community-based operations rather than jail transfers, compared with approximately 19% in 2024.
• Approximately 145 farm-dependent counties experienced ICE enforcement activity during 2025, the highest number reported since 2018.

What Communities Are Experiencing

Immigrant communities report increased concerns about detention, deportation, workplace raids, and family separation. Schools, churches, and social service organizations have expanded “Know Your Rights” workshops and legal assistance clinics. Mixed-status families often face uncertainty regarding long-term family stability and economic security.

Employment, Labor, and Economic Opportunity

Changes in immigration enforcement and workforce policies have created ripple effects throughout the labor market.

What the Numbers Show

• More than 300,000 ICE arrests affected industries heavily dependent on immigrant labor, including agriculture, construction, hospitality, food processing, and healthcare support.
• More than 14% of agricultural employers reported losing workers because of fears related to immigration enforcement.
• Fewer than 1% of agricultural employers reported direct workplace enforcement actions, suggesting uncertainty itself significantly affected workforce participation.
• Federal agencies were directed to eliminate diversity-focused hiring initiatives and DEIA workforce programs.

What Communities Are Experiencing

Minority-serving organizations report concerns that eliminating diversity-focused hiring initiatives may reduce employment opportunities for historically underrepresented workers. Employers in several industries report increased recruitment and retention challenges amid heightened immigration enforcement.

Healthcare Access and Insurance Coverage

Healthcare remains one of the most important indicators of community well-being.

What the Numbers Show

• Approximately 28 million Americans were uninsured in 2025, representing 8.3% of the U.S. population.
• Among working-age adults aged 18 to 64, 11.6% lacked health insurance.
• Approximately 4 million children, or 5.6% of all children, were uninsured in 2025.
• 21.9% of Hispanic adults lacked health insurance coverage, compared with 11.3% of Black adults, 8.5% of White adults, and 4.9% of Asian adults.
• American Indian and Alaska Native populations experienced uninsured rates of approximately 18.9%, among the highest in the nation.
• Adults living in states that had not expanded Medicaid were approximately twice as likely to be uninsured (18.1%) as adults living in Medicaid expansion states (9.0%).
• The Congressional Budget Office projects that Medicaid and Marketplace changes enacted in 2025 could result in more than 14 million additional uninsured Americans by 2034.

What Communities Are Experiencing

Healthcare providers report that some immigrant families delay seeking care because of concerns about eligibility rules or immigration enforcement. Community health centers and nonprofit organizations have expanded outreach efforts to help families maintain access to insurance coverage and preventive care.

Mental Health and Community Well-Being

The effects of public policy extend beyond economics and healthcare.

What the Numbers Show

• ICE detention populations reached approximately 73,000 individuals by late 2025.
• More than 300,000 immigration arrests occurred during 2025.
• Community-based immigration enforcement increased significantly compared with prior years.
• More than 14% of agricultural employers reported worker losses linked to fears surrounding immigration enforcement activity.

What Communities Are Experiencing

Mental health professionals, educators, faith leaders, and community organizations report increased stress among individuals affected by immigration uncertainty, healthcare concerns, employment insecurity, and changing civil rights policies. LGBTQ+ organizations have also reported heightened concerns regarding changes to federal policy protections.

Education and Opportunity

Education remains one of the most significant pathways to economic mobility and success.

What the Numbers Show

• Federal agencies reviewed or eliminated numerous DEI-related educational initiatives and equity-focused grant programs.
• School choice and local control became major federal education priorities.
• Equity-focused educational programs designed to address opportunity gaps underwent review, restructuring, or elimination.
• Several education policy actions reflected recommendations that had been outlined in Project 2025.

What Communities Are Experiencing

Education advocates express concern that reductions in equity-focused initiatives may disproportionately affect students of color, low-income students, English-language learners, and students with disabilities. Supporters argue that school choice and local control give families greater authority over educational outcomes.

Why the Vote Matters

By the end of 2025, federal DEI programs had been dismantled, refugee admissions had been suspended, ICE arrests had exceeded 300,000, detention populations had reached approximately 73,000 individuals, and executive orders focused on racial equity and LGBTQ+ protections had been rescinded. At the same time, nearly 28 million Americans remained uninsured, with communities of color continuing to experience disproportionately high uninsured rates.

Whether one supports or opposes these policy changes, the evidence is clear: public policy affects real people. It shapes access to healthcare, educational opportunities, immigration pathways, employment prospects, and civil rights protections.

As President of the Indiana Democrat African American Caucus, I believe voters deserve to understand the connection between elections and everyday life. Policies are not abstract. They affect families, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and communities.

The America we experience tomorrow is shaped by the votes we cast today.

That is why the vote matters.