“Woe to those who make iniquitous decrees, who write oppressive statutes, 2 to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, to make widows their spoil and to plunder orphans!”

Isaiah 10:1-2

Project 2025 is a 922-page document created by the Heritage Foundation, designed as a blueprint for the dismantlement and realignment of the federal government. Despite denials  from Trump’s election campaign about any association to this draconian paradigm President Trump’s administration is now fully implementing its strategies. During President Trump’s first week in office, over 100 executive orders were signed, many of which directly align with the proposals in Project 2025. In fact, CNN reported that Paul Dans, who oversaw Project 2025 at the Heritage Foundation, stated “This is exactly the work we set out to do. It’s still in the early first stages of bearing fruit, but we wanted to make sure the president was ready to hit the ground running on day one. The rapidity and the depth of what they’ve rolled out this quickly is a testament to the work done in Project 2025 and other presidential transition projects.”

According to The Guardian, federal government workers are “shell-shocked” by what appears to be a vengeful spree by the administration toward perceived enemies. These actions have been justified by the claim that employees not loyal to the Trump administration or its agenda have been targeted. Career officials at the Justice Department were fired, alongside thirty government watchdogs. Sixty senior officials from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have been put on leave and other senior staff have been demoted. 

The implementation of Project 2025 presents dangerous measures that harm the nation’s well-being.  Its proposals align with several executive orders on numerous issues. Some of the harmful actions taken by the Trump administration in its first weeks include:

1. Immigration: Project 2025 recommended finishing the U.S.-Mexico border wall, and aggressively confronting drug cartels. This includes deploring military personnel and the National Guard for border arrests. The prohibition of law enforcement actions at "sensitive" places such as schools, medical facilities, courtrooms and churches should be redacted. The president has enacted these measures. Schools, courtrooms, medical facilities, and worshiping communities should remain safe spaces where individuals, families, and children can seek refuge. Enforcement agencies should not have the power to target people and carry out arrest in historically protected spaces. 
2. Targeting Federal Agencies, Employees, and Policies: Project 2025 proposes dismantling key agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Weather Service, National Marine Fisheries service, Department of Homeland Security, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Education, and others under active consideration. The administration moved forward with these initiatives within its first weeks in office. (Source: Time) 
3. Elimination of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DEI) Positions and Programs: The administration  has set plans into motion to eliminate positions, policies, and programs withing the federal government with strong encouragement for the private sector to follow suite . (Source: Time)  

Presbyterians, and people of faith, must respond with an onslaught of pushback to ensure our voices are heard in Congress, the administration, and among to members of the President’s cabinet and staff. 

Please contact your member of Congress to express your disapproval of the administration’s policies and to oppose executive orders that threaten American democracy. 

Additional ways to pray, learn, and act: 

• Read and familiarize yourself with PCUSA Social Witness Policies.
• Host a listening session and worship service in your community to learn from and  pray with impacted individuals in your community.  
• Explore ways to offer sanctuary and help immigrant families prepare a care plan. 
• Share stories of impacted individuals and communities that shed light and truth on their value to US society, the service they bring to your community, and the harm caused by new executive orders and congressional action. With the intention to empower others to counter these destructive policies and initiatives that follow the Project 2025 playbook. (This can include writing letters to the editor that share these stories. Be cautious to remove sensitive information and identity of individuals to protect individuals and families)

Faith communities need to pray for the nation and the global impact which will be felt. 

We pray, and then we act.