President Donald Trump took steps this week to nix the Education Department, a campaign promise that goes hand in hand with his administration’s battle against diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

It’s unknown how Congress will respond, but many of Trump’s orders have been challenged — and temporarily reversed — in court.

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

Trump moves forward with shutting down Education Department

On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to shut down the U.S. Department of Education.

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Completely dismantling the department is “likely impossible,” according to the Associated Press, because it would need an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. But Trump has already slashed its workforce in half and made cuts to the department’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

It’s unclear for now what will happen to the $1.6 billion in federal funding that goes to Maryland public schools or the $754 million dedicated to the state’s public colleges and universities, The Banner’s Liz Bowie and Ellie Wolfe reported.

In Maryland, the greatest percentage of the federal money goes to Title I schools, which have high percentages of students living in poverty. The Baltimore City school district, which receives $71 million, stands to lose the most.

More cuts coming for EPA

More cuts could be coming to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s environmental justice division, including in the Mid-Atlantic office, reported the Banner’s Adam Willis. The cuts could mean less support for communities in Baltimore, including Curtis Bay, a neighborhood that has long wrestled with the consequences of pollution.

Judge orders administration to restore email and computer access to USAID employees

In addition to restoring computer and email access, District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland “indefinitely” blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency — or DOGE — from making further cuts to USAID, according to the Associated Press.

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In February, the Trump administration laid off at least 1,600 USAID staffers in the U.S. and placed many on administrative leave. Attorneys for USAID employees challenged Musk in court, saying his actions were unconstitutional because he was wielding powers reserved for people who win elections or are confirmed by the Senate.

Local businesses could feel European wine tariff

Tariffs have been a constant but moving piece in this administration as Trump reinstates and pushes back the import taxes. Last week, Trump threatened a whopping 200% tariff on European wine, champagne and spirits.

If the tariffs go into place, it might hit your favorite Baltimore restaurant hard, reported The Banner’s Christina Tkacik. It could virtually end the importation of European wine into the United States and make the product out of reach for many customers.

For example: A typical shipment for Russ Lorber, owner of Baltimore-based importer Wide Roots, costs around $50,000. A 200% tariff would mean paying an extra $100,000, which, Lorber said, “would probably put me out of business.”

Deportations go on

Earlier this month, Trump attempted to use the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century wartime law, to deport hundreds of immigrants. District Judge James E. Boasberg barred him, saying the act didn’t apply.

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The act gives the president more leeway to speed up mass deportations in times of war. Trump tried to use the act by claiming the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua was invading the United States.

On Monday, it wasn’t clear whether the Trump administration ignored Boasberg’s order when planes took off from Texas carrying deportees to El Salvador.

More Maryland sheriffs have also signed agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, starting a “Warrant Service Officer” program in which ICE teaches deputies to serve and execute administrative warrants for people believed to be undocumented immigrants.

More jobs eliminated at Johns Hopkins

The Johns Hopkins University is cutting more than 200 Maryland jobs in May, reported the Banner’s Ellie Wolfe, including employees at Jhpiego and the Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Communication Programs. The university is laying off more than 2,000 people globally as it grapples with massive federal funding cuts.

More on Trump’s impact in Maryland and beyond:

  • 1 in 10 Maryland workers is a federal employee. Here’s where they live, work. (The Baltimore Banner)
  • Thousands of files related to JFK assassination made public: Here’s what to know (The Associated Press)
  • Trump’s Battles With Colleges Could Change American Culture for a Generation (The New York Times)
  • President Trump Won Over Many Arab Americans. Now, Has He Lost Them? (The New York Times)
  • Elon Musk, once a tacit backer of DEI, now focuses on anti-White bias (The Washington Post)