The Weekly Wrap: Coordinated Chaos as Trump Deflates U.S. Government

White House Freezes Federal Grants and Loans

Shortly before the Office of Management and Budget’s far-reaching memo freezing spending on federal loans and grants was set to take effect on Tuesday evening, nonprofit groups won a temporary stay from a federal judge. The OMB then officially rescinded the order, the AP reports — but the threat has not yet lifted.

The White House still says the freeze remains in “full force and effect,” with a pause to allow agencies to review programs for compliance with Trump’s agenda. The freeze implicates funding “including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.” (Separately, the Office of Personnel Management has also sent a memo instructing all federal agencies to immediately comply with Trump’s executive order on “gender ideology extremism.”)

Canary Media reports that the White House has not walked back a separate executive order freezing climate spending from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Meanwhile, philanthropic and impact-focused funders are using the temporary reprieve to mobilize capital, ImpactAlpha reports.

ICE Raids Begin in Sanctuary Cities

More than 3,500 undocumented immigrants have been arrested since Trump’s return to office, with Trump so far sending six planes filled with migrants to Latin America at great taxpayer expense. With immigration enforcement operations sweeping through major cities, state and city leaders are preparing for the worst.

Washington State is creating a rapid response team to connect children whose relatives are deported with caregivers and next-of-kin; San Francisco reaffirmed its sanctuary city ordinance and emphasized that local law enforcement cannot be deputized as ICE agents; Denver’s mayor has promised to sue if federal immigration agents detain city residents at schools, churches and hospitals.

Beyond enforcement, the Trump administration is cracking down hard on legal pathways to immigration and asylum, The Guardian reports. The Department of Homeland Security is ending Temporary Protected Status for Venezeluans, NPR reports, a move that removes work permits for hundreds of thousands of residents and makes them eligible for deportation. Meanwhile, Trump has announced plans to detain some 30,000 deported migrants in a facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba until the administration arranges for other countries to take them.

Federal Employee Asked to Resign in Massive Downsizing

The Trump administration has offered buyouts to all federal employees who agree to resign by Feb. 6, the AP reports; those who stay will face “enhanced standards of suitability and conduct” and future downsizing. Meanwhile, NPR reports that federal employee unions and attorneys are urging government workers not to accept the offer, saying it is not a true buyout but a “resignation threat.”

Trump Takes Aim at K-12 Schools and College Campuses

Trump has ordered K-12 schools to stop teaching “critical race theory” and “radical gender ideology” or risk losing federal funding, The Hill reports. Separately, Trump has directed the Justice Department to investigate antisemitism at colleges and universities, promised to cancel student visas for non-citizens who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, and prepare universities to “monitor” international students for criminal or terrorist activity.

Philly Whole Foods Workers Vote to Unionize

A Whole Foods location in Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood is on track to be the first in the country to unionize, WHYY reports. A majority of the employees voted to join a local chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents 35,000 workers, mostly across Pennsylvania and mostly in supermarkets. The National Labor Relations Board will need to certify the vote results and allow Amazon the opportunity to contest any ballots.

MORE NEWS

• How might tariffs and deportations affect affordable housing development? Shelterforce

• Target dropped DEI, so Minnesota’s largest Pride festival dropped Target’s sponsorship — and raised even more. The Advocate

• What a federal funding freeze would actually mean for sustainable transportation. Streetsblog

• Everything you need to know about keeping pedestrians and bicyclists safe in your state, in one document. Streetsblog

• Biden’s former top child welfare appointee now leads New York City’s oldest child protection organization. The Imprint

• NFL requires controversial agreement for cities hosting the Super Bowl. Axios

• Kentucky’s mountaintop mines are turned into neighborhoods. New York Times

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

• The American Planning Association has released its 2025 Trend Report for Planners.

• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is awarding grants to organizations and communities that are actively reimagining land use and zoning as tools to advance health equity. (Disclosure: RWJF is a current funder of Next City.) Apply by Feb. 6.

• The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Claremont Lincoln University are seeking a new cohort of fellows for the Lincoln Vibrant Communities initiative. Apply by Feb. 18.

• AARP is accepting applications for this year’s Community Challenge Grant Program for projects that help make communities more livable for people of all ages. Apply by March 5.

• The Mellon Foundation is offering general operating support for community-based archives in the U.S. and its territories. Apply by March 12.

• Check out Next City’s jobs board for new opportunities.

EVENTS

• Thursday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. Eastern: Urban Institute is hosting a hybrid event on building a climate-resilient manufactured housing stock.

• Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. Pacific: TOGETHER Bay Area and the California Academy of Sciences are hosting a conversation about better integrating urban areas into regional conservation planning and action.