Week 2
A Nation Divided: The Second Week of 2025’s Controversial Executive Orders
Covering executive actions issued between January 27 and February 2, 2025, this report examines the administration’s latest policies—ranging from military expansion to censorship in education—analyzing their impact on civil rights, economic stability, and national governance.Between January 27, 2025, and February 2, 2025, the White House issued several executive actions that carry significant political, economic, and social implications. While some aim to commemorate historical events or address national security concerns, others introduce policies that disproportionately harm marginalized communities, weaken public institutions, and escalate trade tensions. From a nationwide missile defense system that diverts critical resources away from pressing domestic issues, to education policies that censor discussions on race and gender, to trade tariffs that risk economic retaliation, these executive actions reflect a broader agenda prioritizing political ideology over evidence-based policymaking. Many of these orders undermine civil rights, public education, and labor protections while failing to offer meaningful solutions to the challenges facing everyday Americans. This report examines each executive action critically, analyzing its intended goals, its real-world consequences, and its potential long-term impact on the country.
Read more about the executive actions featured in this week's Case of the Mondays blog by clicking on each of the sections below.
Executive Order: The Iron Dome for America
Date Issued: Monday, January 27, 2025
Agencies Impacted: Department of Defense
Investing billions in a nationwide missile defense system is a wasteful distraction from real security threats. Experts argue that cyberattacks, domestic terrorism, and climate disasters pose far greater risks than missile strikes. The military-industrial complex benefits from this policy while education, healthcare, and infrastructure remain underfunded. This order reflects a dangerous shift toward military escalation instead of addressing pressing domestic challenges that impact everyday Americans.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.Proclamation: The National Day of Remembrance of the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, 2025
Date Issued: Monday, January 27, 2025
Agencies Impacted: Department of Education, Holocaust Memorial Museum
While recognizing Holocaust history is important, this proclamation rings hollow without action against modern antisemitism and hate crimes. The government’s rollback of civil rights protections directly fuels hate groups, making this statement feel like empty rhetoric. Combating antisemitism requires policies that address white supremacist violence, hate speech, and discrimination. Without action, this proclamation fails to provide meaningful support to Jewish communities facing rising threats.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.Executive Order: Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness
Date Issued: Monday, January 27, 2025
Agencies Impacted: Department of Defense
The Executive Order on Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness, issued on January 27, 2025, bans transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military, stripping thousands of service members of their careers, benefits, and dignity. This discriminatory policy undermines military readiness by expelling trained personnel amid recruitment shortages, while also inflicting severe psychological and financial harm on those affected. Studies have shown that transgender inclusion does not hinder unit cohesion or effectiveness, making this move a politically motivated attack on LGBTQ+ rights rather than a measure to strengthen national defense. By prioritizing exclusion over equality, the administration is eroding civil rights, harming morale, and turning its back on those willing to serve their country.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.Executive Order: Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation
Date Issued: Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Agencies Impacted: Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education
The Executive Order on Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation, issued on January 28, 2025, effectively bans federally funded institutions from providing gender-affirming care to minors, stripping transgender youth of critical medical support. This order directly endangers vulnerable children by blocking access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy—treatments that are widely recognized by medical experts as essential for gender dysphoria care. By cutting off funding, the administration is forcing healthcare providers to deny necessary treatment, worsening mental health crises, and increasing suicide risks among transgender youth. Framed as a measure for "protection," this order is a blatant attack on LGBTQ+ rights, undermining parental choice, medical expertise, and the well-being of thousands of children who rely on these services to live authentically and safely.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.Executive Order: Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling
Date Issued: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Agencies Impacted: Department of Education
The Executive Order on Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling, issued on January 29, 2025, mandates a review of educational content to eliminate what the administration deems "radical ideologies." In reality, this is a thinly veiled attempt to censor discussions on systemic racism, gender identity, and historical injustices, threatening academic freedom and whitewashing history. By targeting inclusive curricula, this order undermines efforts to provide students with a well-rounded, fact-based education and restricts teachers from addressing critical social issues. Instead of empowering students with knowledge and critical thinking skills, this policy prioritizes political control over education, silencing diverse perspectives and erasing the lived experiences of marginalized communities.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.Executive Order: Imposing Duties to Address the Situation at Our Southern Border
Date Issued: Friday, February 1, 2025
Agencies Impacted: Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Treasury
The Executive Order on Imposing Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border, issued on February 1, 2025, imposes tariffs on Canadian imports as a punitive measure to curb drug trafficking. This policy oversimplifies a complex issue, punishing legitimate businesses and straining U.S.-Canada trade relations rather than addressing the root causes of illicit drug flows, such as demand reduction and enforcement cooperation. Tariffs will likely raise costs for American consumers and businesses while doing little to disrupt trafficking networks. Instead of focusing on evidence-based solutions—such as cross-border collaboration, treatment programs, and intelligence-sharing—this order resorts to economic penalties that could harm working-class Americans and further destabilize a critical trade partnership.
BBC News
Executive Order: Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism
Date Issued: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Agencies Impacted: Department of Education, Department of Justice
The Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism, issued on January 29, 2025, expands efforts to address anti-Semitism within federal agencies and institutions receiving federal funding. While combating anti-Semitism is crucial, concerns arise over how this order may be implemented—potentially restricting free speech and academic discussions on college campuses under the guise of preventing discrimination. If applied too broadly, it could be weaponized to suppress legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies or chill political discourse. Addressing hate and discrimination is essential, but solutions must balance the fight against anti-Semitism with the protection of civil liberties and free expression.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.Executive Order: Celebrating America's 250th Birthday
Date Issued: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Agencies Impacted: National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities
The Executive Order on Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday, issued on January 29, 2025, establishes a commission to plan events marking the nation's semiquincentennial. While recognizing this historic milestone is important, there are concerns that this initiative could prioritize a narrow, sanitized version of U.S. history that overlooks the struggles of marginalized communities. Without a commitment to inclusivity, this effort risks becoming a performative celebration that glosses over the country’s complex past, rather than an opportunity for reflection and progress. If done right, this could be a moment to honor America’s diversity and resilience, but without broad representation, it may serve more as political pageantry than meaningful commemoration.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.Executive Order: Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling
Date Issued: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Agencies Impacted: Department of Education
The Executive Order on Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling, issued on January 29, 2025, mandates a review of educational content to eliminate what the administration deems "radical ideologies." In reality, this is a thinly veiled attempt to censor discussions on systemic racism, gender identity, and historical injustices, threatening academic freedom and whitewashing history. By targeting inclusive curricula, this order undermines efforts to provide students with a well-rounded, fact-based education and restricts teachers from addressing critical social issues. Instead of empowering students with knowledge and critical thinking skills, this policy prioritizes political control over education, silencing diverse perspectives and erasing the lived experiences of marginalized communities.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.Executive Order: Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families
Date Issued: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Agencies Impacted: Department of Education
The Executive Order on Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families, issued on January 29, 2025, promotes school choice initiatives and vouchers, diverting public education funds toward private and charter schools. While framed as expanding opportunities, this policy disproportionately harms low-income and marginalized students by weakening the public school system, which serves the vast majority of American children. Voucher programs often redirect taxpayer money to private institutions that lack accountability, can discriminate in admissions, and may not provide quality education. Instead of strengthening public education and addressing systemic inequities, this order prioritizes privatization, deepening disparities and leaving underfunded public schools and their students further behind.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.Executive Order: Limiting Lame-Duck Collective Bargaining Agreements That Improperly Attempt to Constrain the New President
Date Issued: Friday, January 31, 2025
Agencies Impacted: All federal agencies engaging in collective bargaining agreements
The Executive Order on Limiting Lame-Duck Collective Bargaining Agreements, issued on January 31, 2025, restricts federal agencies from finalizing labor agreements during the transition period between administrations. This move directly weakens the power of federal workers and their unions, stripping them of protections that ensure fair wages, benefits, and job security. By blocking negotiated agreements in the final months of an outgoing administration, this order undermines collective bargaining rights and makes it easier for the government to roll back worker protections. Instead of fostering stability for federal employees, this policy prioritizes political maneuvering over the well-being of public servants, threatening labor rights and opening the door for future attacks on organized labor.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.Executive Order: Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China
Date Issued: Saturday, February 1, 2025
Agencies Impacted: Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Treasury
The Executive Order on Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China, issued on February 1, 2025, imposes tariffs on Chinese imports as a strategy to combat the flow of synthetic opioids like fentanyl into the United States. While the opioid crisis is a pressing issue, this policy fails to target the real culprits—international trafficking networks and domestic distributors—while instead escalating trade tensions and potentially harming American businesses and consumers. Tariffs do little to disrupt illicit drug manufacturing or smuggling operations, which often operate outside formal supply chains. A more effective approach would focus on diplomatic pressure, enhanced law enforcement coordination, and expanded treatment and prevention programs rather than economic penalties that may have unintended consequences.
Read more about the executive action directly from the White House.The executive actions issued between January 27, 2025, and February 2, 2025, reveal a troubling shift in national policy—one that prioritizes exclusion, censorship, and economic retaliation over meaningful solutions to the country’s most pressing challenges. Policies that strip transgender individuals of their right to serve, deny healthcare to vulnerable youth, censor inclusive education, and weaken labor protections do not strengthen America; they divide it. Meanwhile, misguided trade tariffs threaten economic stability, punishing workers and businesses rather than addressing the root causes of border security and the opioid crisis. Even well-intentioned actions, such as commemorating Holocaust remembrance or celebrating America’s 250th birthday, risk being reduced to hollow symbolism when the administration simultaneously rolls back civil rights and fosters an environment of intolerance.
At a time when Americans are facing economic hardship, climate disasters, and threats to democracy, these executive orders reflect a dangerous prioritization of ideology over governance. Instead of investing in policies that uplift communities, expand rights, and build a stronger, more equitable society, this administration has chosen to escalate division, suppress marginalized voices, and cater to corporate and political interests. Moving forward, it is critical for lawmakers, activists, and citizens alike to challenge these harmful policies, advocate for justice, and push for an agenda that truly serves all Americans—not just the privileged few.
What are your thoughts?
- What are the long-term implications of these executive actions?
- How can activists and policymakers effectively counter policies that undermine civil rights and public institutions?
- What alternative policies would actually address the issues these executive orders claim to solve?
- How do we ensure that commemorative efforts (like Holocaust remembrance or America’s 250th birthday) don’t become empty gestures but lead to real societal progress?
