What the Trump administration’s latest moves could mean for Maryland

In just three weeks, President Donald Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders and made sweeping moves to jump-start his agenda — some of which have been challenged in court.

The Trump administration has quickly taken steps to drastically reduce the federal workforce, dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and curb immigration.

We’re here to help you understand what went down recently and how it may impact Maryland.

Federal workers are feeling the pressure

The new administration gave about 2 million full-time federal employees one week to decide whether to resign and receive pay and benefits through Sept. 30.

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A federal judge temporarily paused the buyout program hours before the deadline, which was at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. The new deadline is Monday at 11:59 p.m.

In Maryland, about 327,000 people are directly employed by the federal government, according to the U.S. Census.

Hundreds of federal employees met at the Howard Community College auditorium in Columbia last week to vent and ask for help, unsure if the new administration would follow through with its buyout offer if they accepted it. The county is also setting up a hotline and email to connect residents with existing programs and assistance.

USAID workers to be pulled off the job

On Tuesday, the Trump administration notified U.S. Agency for International Development employees that they would be off the job by Friday and workers abroad would be brought home.

Several Maryland and Baltimore organizations — including Johns Hopkins University-affiliated Jhpiego, the Center for Communication Programs and Catholic Relief Services — will be impacted by the shutdown because they receive significant funding from USAID.

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Late Friday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from placing thousands of USAID employees on paid leave. The administration had reportedly planned to keep fewer than 300 of USAID’s more than 8,000 staff members around the world.

The agency administers billions of dollars in humanitarian, development and security assistance in more than 100 countries.

Tariff tiffs with Canada, Mexico and China

Trump on Monday said the U.S. agreed to a 30-day pause on tariffs against Canada and Mexico after the two countries agreed to address his concerns about drug trafficking and border security. A 10% tariff on all imports from China went into effect Tuesday

China announced retaliatory tariffs on certain American products and an antitrust investigation into Google. The top U.S. imports from China are cellphones, computers and accessories, and electric and industrial equipment, according to the Associated Press.

Tariffs could slow activity at the Port of Baltimore, an economic engine for the city and the region. China, Mexico and Canada account for roughly a quarter of all tonnage shipped to the Port of Baltimore.

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One Baltimore-based company is not particularly worried about Trump tariffs. Under Armour, one of Baltimore’s most recognizable brands, told The Baltimore Banner that only about 3% of its imports come from China, even less from Mexico and none from Canada.

Baltimore sued the Trump administration over DEI

The lawsuit challenges Trump’s executive order that rescinded federal support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, one of his first moves in the new administration.

Baltimore, according to the lawsuit, relies on hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants. Critics of the executive order say the move is an overreach of Trump’s executive power.

“The uncertainty of federal funding leaves the city wondering whether it needs to start reallocating resources — and likely reduce support for other programs — just to sustain its critical municipal functions," the complaint reads.

Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship faces challenges

On Wednesday, a federal judge in Greenbelt ordered a nationwide pause of Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and foreigners with temporary visas. A day later, another federal judge issued an additional preliminary injunction. Trump’s order will likely not take effect this month as previously planned.

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But Marylanders are already seeing the impacts of Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric. In Baltimore, restaurants fear losing workers and immigrant communities are on edge. Educators are also figuring out how to act if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows up at schools and day cares.