Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
In 2022, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, released Project 2025. It aims to promote extreme policies, reshape the United States Federal Government, and consolidate executive power over the presidency if its preferred candidate wins the election. Experts describe Project 2025 as an ideological agenda designed to push the U.S. toward autocracy. Legal experts warn that it would erode the rule of law, weaken the separation of powers, blur the lines between church and state, and threaten civil liberties.
Experts warn that Plan 2025 could also have far-reaching negative impacts on key areas such as climate policy and health care reform. The reductions in the size of the federal government mentioned in the project may significantly reduce funding for environmental protection and public health programs, further exacerbating the plight of vulnerable groups.
Manjusha (Manju) P. Kulkarni, Esq, Executive Director, AAPI Equity Alliance criticized Plan 2025, calling it “the most destructive approach to immigrant family rights ever”. She pointed out that the planned enhanced border management and enforcement measures may cause millions of undocumented immigrants to face deportation, especially vulnerable groups in the Asian community. “These policies not only put immigrant families at risk, they also undermine the culture of community trust and diversity we have spent decades building,” Kulkarni said.
Sulma Arias, Executive Director, People’s Action Institute and People’s Action emphasized in its latest report that if the project is implemented as planned, social equality and fairness will face a huge test. The report points out that low-income communities, people of color and immigrant groups in particular will bear the brunt of the impact.
Yvonne Gutierrez, Chief Strategy Officer, Reproductive Freedom for All pointed out that if the social conservative policies in the “2025 Plan” are implemented, they may further weaken women’s abortion rights and reproductive choices. “We’ve already seen a trend of reproductive rights under attack in multiple states, and this plan will only exacerbate that oppression and completely destroy women’s control over their own bodies.”
Although Plan 2025 is still in the proposal stage, multiple community and civil rights organizations have launched protests across the country, calling on the public to remain vigilant and participate in policy discussions. Advocates hope to prevent this radical plan from being implemented by raising public awareness.