Since Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump has signed dozens of executive orders that have caused federal hiring freezes, DEI program elimination, ICE raids, anti-trans policies, and more that have impacted Americans’ lives in a variety of ways.
So far, people have not held back on sharing how their lives have been affected by the Trump administration; like this X user who claimed their friends who are cotton farmers lost their biggest contract with a Canadian buyer due to “too much instability” in the US.
We decided to ask members of the BuzzFeed Community to share how their lives have been personally affected by the Trump administration’s most recent policies. In this monthly series, we plan to share Americans’ candid experiences to bring awareness to how communities are being affected.
Here’s what 15 people had to say:
All photos are AI-generated for anonymity.
1. “Executive orders halting US Department of Health and Human Services funding has led to a 25% reduction in my work, one employee with no projects (our DEI admin), and a looming threat that our entire department may not exist in the next four years if things continue.”
“Trump’s moratorium on communications means we don’t know what we can/cannot do at this point. I want to shout at MAGA family members who seem shocked and confused that my job is now threatened by Dear Leader.”
—R.F., 40, California
2. “Every summer and fall for the last couple of years, I worked as a seasonal park ranger for the National Park Service. I got my official letter to work in upstate New York a couple of weeks ago, but with Trump’s federal hiring freeze, my offer was rescinded.”
“Now I’m just waiting to see if I have a job or not for next summer. It’s a little nerve-racking because this seasonal job can help me apply for permanent jobs in the future. The National Park Service relies heavily on seasonal employees; without us, parks would not be able to function.”
—Stephanie, 27, Arizona
3. “I’m disabled and have metastatic breast cancer. I am terrified my company will remove DEI protections that would ensure my job is protected when I take leave for chemo every three weeks.”
“Project 2025 also recommended removing protections for preexisting conditions, and if Trump mandates that, then my job could refuse to insure me, and insurers could drop/refuse to insure me. Without access to affordable insurers, I’d have to choose between bankruptcy or dying. Not to mention, I’m on my eighth line of chemo treatment, with research halted, new drugs won’t come to market, and eventually, I’ll run out of treatment options. I’m so stressed I can’t even think straight.”
—Beth, 45, New Jersey
4. “My sister is transgender. She came out several years ago and has been on hormones ever since. She has a real ID with her new name and gender on it and has for some time now.”
“However, because the government now is only issuing passports showing the gender assigned at birth, my sister (who had never needed a passport and thus didn’t have one before this hellish administration came in) is unable to get a passport and is unable to attend a family wedding in Mexico this year. I am so fucking angry, sad, and ashamed of what this country has done to people who have done NOTHING to them. Despicable.”
—Claire, 33, California
5. “My partner is here legally, and we have a child together. We live in the South, and there is a lot of profiling. Since Inauguration Day, I have noticed more people watching him when we go out together as a family.”
“I have previously felt comfortable in public spaces, but now worry that he will get randomly asked to show his green card or detained for some reason. We have a plan in place for a situation like this and have gone so far as to put a tentative agenda together in case there are deportations of anyone not born here. It’s sad to think that we have come to this point.”
—Derek, 39, South Carolina
6. “My husband is a federal employee and has been hybrid remote/in office for the last three years, and now he is being forced to return full time to the office. We only have one car, which was fine when he was home a few days a week so we could share the car, and I could still get me/kids to appointments/activities/errands.”
“But now we either have to figure out how to scrape together money to buy a second car or have him ride the three-hour bus ride to work and lose all that family time. I feel ridiculous because I know other people have way bigger problems, but we had just found a good rhythm and balance for our family schedule and were feeling financially sort of ok, and having it all turned upside down for nothing sucks.”
—Leilani, 34, Hawaii
7. “I work at a Tribal college. About 2/3 of our students are Native, and I’m terrified of what this administration might do. It’s heartbreaking watching the community try to heal from centuries of oppression and targeted genocide, only to learn that their citizenship is in jeopardy under this administration.”
“Plus, the local tribe’s treaty contains a clause stating that if mineral resources are discovered on the ceded territory, the president retains the right to evict residents to clear the way for mining operations. A foreign enterprise is already searching the area for copper, so the threat of forced relocation is real.”
—Jaina, 24, Michigan
8. “I gave up a ton of money in the private sector to join the federal workforce, as did everyone else I work with, some of the highest achievers I have ever seen. The recent RTO orders are so extreme and demoralizing and are the equivalent of the president just saying ‘fuck you’ to all of us loudly and in our faces. We are not the enemy! We are here to help the country and provide a public service.”
“I have family from countries with dictatorships, and I have seen what it is like to live without any faith in your government. It is not pretty. I wish Americans would wake up to how terrible this will be for everyone, regardless of political party.”
—James, 36, California
9. “I’m in medical school, and we’ve had to add what happens if ICE comes into the hospital while we’re on rotation to class discussions and lectures now.”
10. “I have a consulting firm that has several USAID projects. Those projects have been on ‘programmatic pause.’ Now, I don’t have the revenue that comes from those projects and need to lay off staff who are US citizens.”
—Priya, 47, D.C.
11. “I work as a paralegal for an immigration law firm. The fear and devastation I hear from clients on a daily basis is heartbreaking.”
“We have a contract to work with foster kids who entered ‘without inspection’ (i.e., were detained at the border and have no present status). Social workers started having informational sessions with the kids on what to do if they’re confronted by ICE, and one social worker took several of our business cards for the kids to carry on them in case they get detained and need to call our office.The attorneys have started to prepare to represent detained clients, which we don’t normally specialize in. I can’t leave work at work anymore; I think about these kids on my drive home. My grandparents voted for this. I don’t know how to face them when this is the reality of my professional career.”
—Anna, 34, Colorado
12. “Although I have personally not been affected by a deportation threat given that I have a work permit, I have friends and acquaintances that have. Vermont is a border state, meaning there is a heavy presence of ICE and border patrol. It is heartbreaking to see ICE standing in front of hospitals and supermarkets, waiting to catch innocent migrants who are just trying to get health and food.”
“Mind you, immigrants in Vermont are vital for agriculture, construction, and hospitality. Immigrants and business owners alike wish they had a quick way to get them work permits, but the immigration process is extremely difficult and convoluted. It almost seems like it has been conveniently designed to keep people illegal and cheap.”
—Carmen, 38, Vermont
13. “My roommate (nonbinary trans woman) and I are now in a position of needing to move to a blue state until we can figure out the next steps. Iowa’s current governor is firmly in the business of following whatever Trump says, which now means my roommate’s transition and both of our safety are at risk.”
“My mom and brother didn’t vote, even though I was nearly in tears begging them on election night, and I have to try and get them to understand how much that hurts while not letting them make me feel guilty for doing what I need to do now. I’ve never seen something so terrifying in my life.”
—Kierra, 18, Iowa
14. “For me, I’m a federal employee (outside of DC now, mind you) and have enjoyed a fairly regular onslaught of attacks from the president and his administration (including Elon Musk). We are having all telework revoked; the federal government has had telework programs in place for 20 years, and I will be forced back into an office five days a week. There are constant rumors that positions are going to be eliminated or benefits taken away (e.g., dental and vision insurance).”
“Oh, and my favorite: All federal employees were sent an email with Elon’s famous ‘Fork in the Road’ subject, offering all employees the opportunity to resign no later than Sept. 30, 2025, and if they accepted, they would not have to do any of their work for the remaining months. The email included a veiled threat along the lines of ‘if you choose NOT to resign, your position may be eliminated or drastically different in the coming months.’ This has left so many people nervous, confused, and scared that they are going to lose their jobs. In less than a week, Trump’s policies have completely upended my life such that my wife and I are unsure if we are going to be able to provide for our family.”
And finally…
15. “I was fortunate to participate in a medical study at the National Institute of Health last summer for a new treatment for a rare condition I have. The week before I was set to go, funding was cut.”
“The study coordinator had emailed me wanting to know if I wanted to come back this spring for the next phase of the trial. I’m guessing that’s not going to happen anymore.”
Go Ad-Free — And Protect The Free Press
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.