Project 2025 is a sweeping conservative initiative led by the nonprofit think tank Heritage Foundation and other right-wing organizations aiming to shape the next Republican administration's policies and staffing. The architects of Project 2025 are closely linked to former President Donald Trump, with many of the initiative's key figures having served in or influenced his administration. The Heritage Foundation played a central role in shaping Trump's policy agenda during his presidency, particularly on immigration, deregulation, judicial appointments and other issues.
At its core, Project 2025 envisions rolling back progressive legislation, limiting immigration, and reshaping the federal government in ways that could profoundly impact Americans, particularly South Asians like us.
Immigration and South Asian communities
One of Project 2025's key policy pillars involves a starkly anti-immigration stance that would deeply affect the South Asian American community, a significant portion of which is composed of recent immigrants or first-generation Americans.
Project 2025 would severely curtail legal pathways such as H-1B visas and family reunification. For many South Asian families, this could mean longer wait times for green cards, or worse: being barred from entering the country altogether.
The Trump administration's previous policies had created a chilling effect, particularly on students and workers from countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Project 2025 doubles down on these policies, introducing even more stringent requirements that could further reduce the inflow of South Asian professionals.
Additionally, Project 2025 advocates for the end of birthright citizenship — a policy change that could disproportionately affect South Asian families.
Labor market challenges
Project 2025 seeks to roll back regulations that protect labor rights and restrict unions. While this might be framed as an effort to boost businesses and enhance economic efficiency, the ramifications for South Asian Americans, particularly immigrants working in lower-wage sectors, could be disastrous.
Many South Asian immigrants work in industries such as food service, retail, or as small business owners. Project 2025’s plans to deregulate the labor market could diminish workplace protections, particularly those already vulnerable to exploitation. Stripping away labor regulations could result in fewer protections against wage theft, less support for workplace discrimination cases and a rollback in health and safety protections. This would disproportionately affect South Asian immigrants, who may be working long hours in jobs with limited benefits.
For South Asians working in tech and healthcare, the picture is similarly bleak. Project 2025 includes provisions that would severely limit the protections offered to H-1B visa holders. Although tech companies have traditionally benefited from hiring foreign talent — particularly from India — conservative legislators have often scapegoated immigrants for taking jobs from U.S. citizens. These new policies would exacerbate this rhetoric, potentially pushing highly skilled workers out of the U.S. labor market or forcing them into exploitative conditions due to their reliance on employer-sponsored visas.
Education and impact on future generations
Project 2025 would significantly reshape the landscape of public education. Among its key proposals are efforts to expand school choice, defund public schools and eliminate diversity and inclusion initiatives. For South Asian American students, these changes could manifest in various ways, from reduced access to quality education to increased exposure to environments hostile to diversity.
Project 2025’s dismantling of federal education oversight could hamper equitable public education for all. The defunding of public schools could lead to a widening achievement gap, particularly in states where conservative lawmakers are already slashing school budgets. South Asian students from lower-income backgrounds would bear the brunt of this burden, as their access to quality education becomes increasingly limited.
Additionally, the conservative attack on diversity and inclusion programs would hinder efforts to create a more inclusive educational environment for students of color. Many South Asian students rely on these programs to navigate the challenges of being a minority in predominantly white institutions. With their removal, these students could face increased isolation, prejudice and fewer resources to support their academic and personal development.
Higher education is also at risk. Project 2025’s emphasis on curbing the influence of so-called "leftist" ideologies could lead to a crackdown on academic freedom, particularly in areas like ethnic studies and social justice education. South Asian students and scholars working in these fields could face heightened scrutiny or even be pushed out of academia.
Discrimination and civil rights rollbacks
One of the most alarming aspects of Project 2025 is the rollback of civil rights protections, particularly in areas concerning racial and religious discrimination. South Asian Americans, many of whom practice religions like Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism, have already been targeted by discrimination and hate crimes in the post-9/11 era. Project 2025’s hardline stance on reducing anti-discrimination protections could embolden those who harbor racial or religious biases.
The project would limit the power of agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, which investigates workplace discrimination claims. With fewer resources and a reduced mandate, South Asians facing workplace harassment or religious discrimination would have fewer avenues for recourse. This rollback in protections would create a more hostile environment for South Asians, particularly for Muslims and Sikhs, who have been unfairly targeted under policies that conflate their religious practices with terrorism.
Moreover, the project’s vision of re-establishing a so-called "law and order" approach to governance could further marginalize South Asians by promoting racial profiling and expanding surveillance programs. The history of post-9/11 surveillance on Muslim and South Asian communities suggests that Project 2025’s law enforcement priorities would disproportionately target them under the guise of national security.
Have no doubt that Project 2025 will be implemented if Trump returns to power. The events on and leading up to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, have shown us his disregard for the rule of law and his desire to be a dictator. Educate yourself about his plans and make sure to share them with friends and family. Above all, check your voter registration and be sure to vote blue on November 5 to preserve and protect American democracy.
Read the full transcript of Project 2025: Project 2025's "Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise" To see how Project 2025 would impact any of the issues you care about, read Rajat Paharia's 25andme project Additional resources about Project 2025 and its danger to democracy:
Read: Brookings: Project 2025 and education: A lot of bad ideas, some more actionable than others
Read: Center for American Progress: Project 2025: Exposing the Far-Right Assault on America
Read: Molly Jong-Fast and iHeart Radio: Five-Part Series on Project 2025 (YouTube)
Read: Robert Reich’s Project 2025: The MAGA Plan to Take Your Freedom (YouTube)
Read: Vanity Fair: How Trump and Project 2025 Will Mold America “In the Image of a Dictatorship” (Podcast)
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