Trump’s Federal Policies and the Stagnation of Progress for New England Communities of Color.
The first year of President Trump’s second term has indicated a profound and destabilizing change to the diverse urban centers of New England. In cities such as Boston, Providence, and Portland, the administration’s 2025 agenda has replaced inclusive growth with a framework of exclusion and systemic disadvantage for residents of color.
By reviving dehumanizing stereotypes that cast immigrant populations as “garbage,” the federal government has essentially authorized a withdrawal of state protection for non-white newcomers. These rhetorical attacks are not just political; they become the rationale for a series of draconian policy changes in 2025, which have begun to tear apart the social fabric and safety of the entire region.
The Erosion of Health and Education Infrastructure
In Massachusetts, the effects on public health have been immediate and devastating. 1, the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” in early 2025 has resulted in a massive cut to federal Medicaid funding, leaving almost 326,000 residents in the Commonwealth at risk of losing their health insurance coverage.
For the population of immigrants in Worcester and Brockton, this crisis is further exacerbated by new eligibility restrictions that specifically target refugees and asylum seekers. 2, Coming on the heels of the disappearance of federal support for Migrant-Led Organizations (MLOs), the regional health system is faced with a multi-billion-dollar shortfall that threatens the stability of the entire health system, thus alienating people of color from institutions that were really meant to protect them.
Education in New England has seen a similar retreat with the dismantling of the support systems for English Language Learners (ELL). 3. In cities such as Lynn and Winooski, the federal government has rescinded important protection for the civil rights of multilingual students, and this has led to a palpable climate of fear in public schools.
The proposed elimination of Title III funding has left Boston school districts struggling to maintain bilingual programs once considered essential to workforce development. By making English the official language and withdrawing federal oversight, the administration is effectively sidelining the next generation of New England’s diverse leaders, making sure that immigrants of color are permanently at an educational disadvantage.
Housing Insecurity and Economic Double Standard
The housing market in 2025 has become another battleground where rhetoric and policy collide to disadvantage communities of color. While the administration points to its latest federal housing reports in blaming immigrant populations for rising rents, in Portland and Hartford, the situation is a crisis fueled by high interest rates and a severe supply shortage.
Black and Brown renters in New England are now being hit the hardest, with many of them spending more than 50% of their income on housing. Instead of investing in affordable housing, the federal agenda has focused on exclusionary narratives that portray newcomers as “predatory” rather than as vital contributors to the regional economy.
Economically, the “Gold Card” era has brought about an unabashed double standard of favoring affluent newcomers while criminalizing working-class Somali and Haitian residents. The introduction of the National Guard to “sanctuary cities” to safeguard immigration enforcement efforts has given the impression of increased surveillance and public distrust in the northern centers of New England.
In Lewiston, Somalis now face targeted enforcement and the termination of legal safeguards, such as Temporary Protected Status. 4 This move from a place of social inclusion to one of active hostility has not only stalled regional progress. Still, it has also brought back the threat of bias-motivated threats against immigrant youth, threatening the safety and prosperity of all New Englanders.
Dr. Brian Omolo is an author and professional advisor dedicated to raising the voices of the different communities of New England. He is a PhD holder in Literature from Kenyatta University and a bachelor's degree holder in Pure Mathematics from the University of Nairobi, which justifies his combination of analytical clarity and creative insight.
