This tracker monitors federal executive branch actions that impact immigrants’ and their family members’ access to health care, food assistance, housing and other public benefits, starting on January 20th, 2025. It is maintained by the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition and is intended as a resource for advocates, attorneys, service providers, researchers, and journalists. It is designed to provide a reference on the many ways that the Trump Administration has attacked access to benefits, monitor which ones are being litigated, allow users to quickly see current status of different actions, and provide easy access to related resources.
Scope
This tracker covers actions taken by federal executive branch agencies, including executive orders, rulemaking, policy guidance, and other official actions. It does not track federal legislative action, but does include regulations or guidance issued to implement laws that have been enacted. It does not include state-level actions, except for responses to tracked federal actions. It does not include actions that are aimed at immigration benefits and immigration enforcement (https://immpolicytracking.org is a great resource for this) without a direct connection to public benefit receipt, although we recognize that such actions also have a chilling effect on public benefit access.
Note: Status and current status fields reflect the state of each action as of the date last reviewed, not necessarily today’s date. Legal status can change rapidly. This tracker is generally updated on a weekly basis by Elizabeth Lower-Basch and Sonya Schwartz at the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition and edited by Tanya Broder at the National Immigration Law Center. If you identify an action or update that you believe should be included in the tracker, you can send it to us at tracker@pifcoalition.org
How to Use This Tracker
The default view of this tracker includes all updates, sorted by the most recent actions/updates. Click the “View Detail” link in any row to open a detail page with the full description, timeline of updates, and links to source documents and news coverage.
We have provided pre-built filters that allow users to filter by federal agency, action category , whether there is litigation, etc (see below for details about the fields). Users can also use the Airtable tools to build their own filters, or to search for keywords (search icon is at the upper right of the table).
Field Definitions
Action Categories
Each action is assigned a category that describes its primary impact or mechanism of harm. Categories are:
| Category | Description |
| Eligibility Limits | Actions that restrict who qualifies for a program or benefit |
| Privacy Concern / Improper Data Sharing | Actions involving collection, sharing, or use of personal data collected by benefit granting agencies in ways that may harm immigrants and their family members |
| Messaging Designed to Create a Chilling Effect | Official communications, statements, or signaling intended to discourage eligible people from seeking services |
| Ending Funding for Needed Services | Actions that cut, freeze, or redirect funding for programs serving immigrants or people with low-incomes |
| Adding Red Tape | Actions that impose new procedural barriers, documentation requirements, or administrative burdens when accessing benefits or services |
| Immigration Enforcement | Actions that threaten benefit applicants and recipients with immigration enforcement activity |
Some actions may span multiple categories; the assigned category reflects our assessment of the primary impact.
Action Type
Describes the legal form of the action:
| Type | Description |
| Executive Order | An order signed by the President. |
| Regulation | Formal rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act, including requests for information (RFIs), proposed rules (NPRMs) and final rules |
| Guidance | Subregulatory action: memos, policy notices, letters, FAQ documents, application forms, and other informal agency communications |
| Other | Actions that don’t fit the above: budget proposals, data access agreements, memoranda of understanding, and similar |
Status
Reflects the current implementation status of the action:
| Status | Meaning |
| In effect | The action is currently operative |
| Partially in effect | The action has been implemented in part, or is blocked in some jurisdictions |
| Not in effect | The action has been enjoined, rescinded, or otherwise halted OR it is only a proposal that has not yet been finalized or implemented. |
Note: Status reflects our understanding at the time of last review and may not reflect the most recent court orders or agency announcements. See the Updates section on each record for the latest developments.
Agency
The federal agency or agencies responsible for the action. Some actions involve multiple agencies and will show more than one tag.
Initial Date
The date the action was first announced, signed, or published.
Litigation
The ⚖️ icon indicates that legal challenges have been filed against this action. This does not indicate the outcome — the litigation may be ongoing, resolved, or appeals may be pending. See the action’s Updates and Resources sections for details.
Comments Open
For regulatory actions currently in a public comment period, this field is checked.
Updates
The Updates section on each action’s detail page provides a chronological record of significant developments: court decisions, implementation milestones, agency announcements, and other changes in status.
Resources
Supporting documents and links, organized by type:
| Type | Description |
| Comments and Comment Tools | Formal comments submitted on proposals, and resources to assist the public in submitting comments |
| Statement | Statements and press releases |
| Court Document | Links to dockets, or filings, orders, and decisions from related litigation |
| Analysis | Advocacy organization analyses, policy briefs, and explainers |
| Article | News coverage and journalism |
