What 2025 Meant for People Pushed to the Margins 

Since the beginning of President Trump’s second term on January 20, 2025, CLASP has been resolute in our commitment to anti-poverty policy solutions that center workers, children, families, immigrants, women, people of color, and communities with low incomes. 

From the administration’s earliest days, we spoke out against dangerous executive orders targeting unions, immigration, and immigrant families' access to benefits; the repeal of  the “protected areas” policy safeguarding immigrants and their families; and the dismantling of  the Department of Education, among others. Our DOGE tracker documented the harmful actions taken by the now-disbanded Department of Government Efficiency to destabilize the safety and security of workers, families, and communities. Our statements on H.R. 1, the reconciliation bill, focused on the unprecedented harm this legislation will cause to workers, families, and the economy. Through these and other statements, as well as our Equity Matters virtual discussion series and the work of our policy teams (discussed in more detail below), we have continuously advocated for the health, safety, and well-being of all marginalized communities.

We know that 2026 will bring new challenges, and we stand ready to meet the moment. 

CLASP's New President and Executive Director

In May 2025, Wendy Chun-Hoon began her tenure as CLASP’s president and executive director. Before joining CLASP, Wendy served in the Biden Administration as Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau from 2021-25; prior to that, she was executive director of Family Values@Work, a national network of grassroots coalitions in 27 states fighting for care policies and workplace rights such as paid sick and safe days, family and medical leave insurance, and child care.  

Wendy’s experience spans the public, social, and philanthropic sectors and focuses on elevating the voices of women, LGBTQ+ people, and those from communities that have been marginalized. All of this makes her the ideal leader to steer CLASP’s work of dismantling systemic barriers, advancing meaningful change, and advocating for those most affected by the policy decisions of the current administration and Congress. 

CLASP's Equity Matters Series

This year, CLASP hosted two installments of our Equity Matters virtual discussion series. We welcomed hundreds of attendees who listened to and participated in thought-provoking and inspiring conversations moderated by Wendy Chun-Hoon. 
 
September’s installment was titled, “Equity Matters: Why Attacks on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility are a Threat to Multiracial Democracy," and December's discussion addressed "Equity Matters: Philanthropy in the Crosshairs - Confronting the Perpetual Backlash Against Justice and Democracy." Both sessions included engaging, nationally known speakers.  

Look for more installments of this discussion series in 2026. 

CLASP Policy Teams: The Year in Review

All of CLASP’s policy teams have focused on the harms of the Trump Administration throughout the year. Below is a representative publication from each team that highlights their work:

Child Care and Early Education

Cuts to SSBG, TANF Would Eliminate Child Care for 40K Children, Disrupt Care for Millions More

This fact sheet highlights the risks for children, providers, and families posed by federal budget proposals that would significantly reduce funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and completely eliminate Social Service Block Grant funding. 

Immigration and Immigrant Families 
Know Your Rights: Five Things Parents Detained by ICE Should Know 

This fact sheet for immigrant parents, jointly developed by CLASP and the National Immigration Law Center, details the rights that parents have to make decisions about their children’s care while being apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and held in ICE custody. The guidance is currently available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole and will be translated into other languages. 

Public Benefits Justice 
Fading to Invisible: Why Ending the USDA Food Security Report Makes Hunger in America Invisible

This report urges the immediate restoration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Security Report, which for the past 30 years has provided critical insight into food insecurity and equipped federal and state policymakers with reliable data to inform targeted interventions. Without this report, it becomes far more difficult to accurately assess food insecurity and program reach or gaps in access, and it risks continuing this country’s long history of masking inequities and suppressing data. 

Education, Labor, and Worker Justice 
The Trump Administration is Using Student Debt to Build a Military State 

This fact sheet examines the administration’s desire to expand its law enforcement reach by offering student loan forgiveness to individuals who apply for roles at ICE while also removing loan forgiveness pathways for those institutions and organizations deemed obstructors to the administration's political goals.  

Stay tuned for an in-depth timeline and analysis of how the first year of the Trump Administration has shaped the federal landscape, which we will release on January 20, 2026. 

Please Consider CLASP in Your Year-end Giving  

All of us at CLASP wish you and yours a happy holiday season and a healthy 2026. We know that our work on behalf of immigrants, communities of color, and people with low incomes will be even more vital in the coming year, as we anticipate continued serious challenges to the well-being and livelihoods of these and other communities. As you wrap up your year-end giving plans, please consider a donation to CLASP.  Your support is of crucial importance to helping us advance policy solutions that further economic, social, and racial justice.