- As Congress continues to work on a reconciliation package, the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday snuck in a provision that some are calling a “nonprofit killer”. The provision, similar to a bill passed by the House last year, would give the Treasury Department discretion to designate US non-profit organizations as supporters of terrorism with little due process. Even for organizations eventually able to clear their names of baseless accusations, the impact on their organizations could be devastating and permanent.
- In their package, Ways and Means is also looking to cut immigrants out of many public programs. This includes:
- limiting access to the Child Tax Credit unless the filer and their spouse both have a social security number
- making tax credits for ACA marketplace access available only to USCs and LPRs
- Eliminating ACA marketplace access for lawfully present immigrants making below 100% of FPL
- Excluding most immigrants from access to Medicare (ex. TPS/DED holders, asylees/refugees, trafficking survivors, DV survivors).
- Not wanting to be left out, the House Agriculture Committee released their draft for the reconciliation package which would include drastic changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The proposed changes would include shifting some of the financial burden onto states, stripping many immigrants of eligibility, increasing work requirements for SNAP recipients, and limiting future increases to SNAP benefits.
- On Monday, the administration published the decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status for nationals of Afghanistan in the Federal Register. Those individuals with TPS will have their status terminated as of July 12, 2025. Individuals with a May 20,2025 expiration date for their status will have their EADs automatically extended until July 12, with the expectation that they will return to Afghanistan by that date.
- Late last month, President Trump signed another Executive Order, targeting “sanctuary jurisdiction.” The EO calls on agencies to compile a list of such jurisdictions within 30 days as well as any federal funds to such jurisdictions that can be terminated. The EO also instructs the DOJ to “stop the enforcement” of state laws that provide in-state tuition to students in violation of federal law (in-state tuition laws, including our recent law here in Massachusetts, are specifically written to avoid conflict with federal laws).
- On a related note, 20 states jointly filed two separate lawsuits against Trump Administration threats to funding. In April, the Department of Transportation threatened to withhold funding to states that don’t cooperate with immigration enforcement efforts and end DEI programs. An earlier letter from DHS had also threatened to withhold funding from states that do not cooperate with immigration enforcement efforts. Both suits were filed in Rhode Island.