Trump government overhaul impacting Michigan via tariffs, immigration, job cuts

For the second time in three election cycles, Michigan voters last year favored Donald Trump in the race for the White House, helping the Republican clinch a second term as president. Trump in November 2024 secured 49.7% of the Michigan vote, completing a swing-state sweep across the U.S.

Beginning with his first day in office in January, Trump signed a series of executive orders and outlined other policy initiatives that immediately impacted Americans. The president’s activity has not slowed since then, with each day seemingly delivering new issues and new understandings of how Trump’s administration influences American life.

MLive continues to cover the Trump administration’s impact, with an emphasis on the presidential footprint he leaves in Michigan. The following are a series of categories that have defined Trump’s second presidency — so far — and what it means for Michigan.

MLive will regularly update this post to provide the latest news on Trump’s effect on Michigan and its residents.

The economy

As he promised on the campaign trail, Trump in the opening weeks of his presidency imposed and threatened to impose a series of tariffs on American trade partners, including Michigan-bordering Canada. While he continues to delay and adjust some elements of those tariff measures, Michigan workers and labor experts alike have braced for its impact on several industries critical to the Michigan economy, from agricultural to automotive.

Other Trump policies also likely will impact prices and commerce across the state. Here are stories that examine Trump’s impact on Michigan’s economy:

Federal cuts

With the guidance of Trump adviser Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Trump administration in its opening weeks announced massive cuts to federal programs and jobs. It’s an initiative that impacts thousands of Michigan residents, including federal employees, everyday citizens who depend on the services provided by those federal programs, and state- and local-level agencies that receive federal funding.

Access to Medicaid. Disaster reimbursements. Hunger relief efforts. Library resources. Summertime visits to Michigan landmarks. These are just a few aspects of Michigan life that Trump federal cuts could drastically change. Here are stories that examine the impact of federal cuts in the state:

Immigration

Trump signed several executive orders on immigration and announced a slew of edicts aimed at carrying out promises of mass deportations and border security during his first months back in the White House. That initiative has played out at a local level in Michigan, as public safety officials and elected leaders in several municipalities took sides on the issue.

The policy entered a new stage in April as reporting revealed federal officials revoked the visas of dozens of international students at Michigan colleges.

Local law enforcers, school leaders and elected municipal leaders have weighed measures — and sometimes voted on local policies — in response to Trump’s deportation crackdown. Here are stories that impact immigration issues in Michigan:

Resistance to DEI

In response to the growth of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs since his first term as president, Trump’s new administration has outlined plans to reduce such initiatives in the U.S. The strategy has included Trump threatening to cut federal funding to organizations that champion DEI programs.

In Michigan, that strategy largely has impacted municipalities and colleges, where leaders have scrambled to end or defend existing DEI initiatives. Here are stories that examine the varying reaction to Trump’s resistance to DEI programs:

Education overhaul

The status of DEI programs and visa crackdowns are not the only ways Trump policies have impacted education in Michigan. The Republican administration’s plans to dismantle the U.S. Education Department and reassign some of its core functions has led Michigan schools leaders to scramble in response, with many educators fearful for both massive losses in teaching jobs and shifts in the student experience in Michigan.

Here are stories that examine the impact of Trump policies on Michigan’s educational institutions:

LGBTQ+ issues

Among the populations most targeted by the Trump administration are members of the LGBTQ+ community. Among his Day No. 1 executive orders was a call for the federal government to define sex as only male or female, and for that order to be reflected on official documents such as passports and policies such as federal prison assignments.

It was the first of several Trump policies that have concerned the LGBTQ+ community — especially transgender individuals — and its allies. They worry the administration’s posture toward the LGBTQ+ population both poses a threat to its civil rights and safety. Here are stories that examine how those issues have developed in Michigan:

Environmental impact

Environmental regulations were among the policies Trump rolled back in his first weeks back in office. The president also terminated Environmental Protection Agency grants that his predecessor supported to finance clean energy and climate-friendly projects.

Experts predict Trump’s policies will impact the environment in Michigan in many ways, from the health of the state’s animal populations to how households receive energy to how officials fight pollution. Here are stories that examine how Trump policies impact Michigan environmental issues:

The opposition

While Trump secured enough votes to win its favor in the November 2024 election, Michigan remains a swing state with thousands of people who oppose his vision for America. Since Trump returned to the White House, Michigan protestors have organized rallies against a variety of his policies, ranging from federal cuts to immigration enforcement. And some of the state’s top elected Democrats have voiced their solidarity with the Trump opposition.

Here are stories that explore the rise of opposition to Trump policies in Michigan:

Pop culture

Before he was a political figure, Trump was part of American popular culture, hosting TV shows, rubbing elbows with celebrities and appearing in music lyrics. Now in the White House, Trump’s presence as a pop-culture figure has evolved. Late-night comedy shows, movies, music and literature continue to keep the president relevant to citizens less focused on the political news he generates.

Here are stories that follow when Michigan-centric pop culture intersects with Trump:

RELATED: For more of MLive’s coverage of Trump’s initiatives and how they affect Michigan, go here