Dr. Lauren Pearlman and Rayna Young, MPP
Center for Policy Analysis and Research
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
As we enter 2026, the Center for Policy Analysis and Research (CPAR) is tracking five key areas—healthcare, immigration, technology, voting rights, and the workforce—where recent legislation, executive actions, and court rulings will have lasting impacts on Black life, economic security, and civic participation. Read below and stay tuned for CPAR’s latest research all year long.
Healthcare
- In July 2025, President Trump signed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, into law—the largest cut to Medicaid in the program’s history. Black Americans, who make up over 20% of Medicaid recipients, are disproportionately affected. Coverage changes will take effect this November and will create devastating gaps for the most vulnerable Americans.
- H.R. 1 also mandates an 80-hour per month work requirement for Medicaid recipientsages 19-64 under state expansions. With limited access to transportation, many will face new barriers to coverage. While mandatory in 2027, states can begin implementation effective immediately.
- The lack of healthcare coverage will not only impact low-income Black Americans. The expiration of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits on December 31, 2025 leaves an estimated 20 million Americans with higher healthcare costs.
Immigration
- The Trump Administration’s immigration policies have stoked fear in immigrant communities through increased surveillance and policing. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in schools, healthcare facilities, and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland have targeted undocumented immigrants based on skin color. ICE officials have also wrongfully detained several US citizens in the pursuit of these orders.
- On February 3, 2026, Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals is set to end, putting over 300,000 people at risk of arrest or deportation. President Trump has also targeted Somali communities in Minnesota, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, a first-generation Somali immigrant.
- The Supreme Court is now reviewing the constitutionality of President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship, the long-standing constitutional principle that guarantees citizenship to anyone born on US soil. The decision could narrow the scope of the 14th Amendment, with implications extending beyond immigration policy.
Technology
- Artificial intelligence (AI) was a top issue in 2025. The Trump Administration declared a “golden age of AI,” pushing for the expansion of AI data centers and encouraging innovation over safety and equity. In December, President Trump issued an executive order preventing states from enacting stricter AI regulations.
- Left unchecked, AI can worsen online racial discrimination and mental health challenges for Black youth. AI data centers also drive up energy costs and have been linked to respiratory illnesses and cancer, particularly in predominantly Black communities. Algorithmic bias can further block access to jobs and home loans.
- In order to mitigate these efforts, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Yvette D. Clarke recently introduced the AI Civil Rights Act, to hold tech companies accountable for harm caused by their AI tools.
Voting Rights
- In August 2025, Texas began an unprecedented effort to redraw its electoral maps five years ahead of the 2030 Census. Activists sued, arguing that the maps dilute the votes of minorities, but the US Supreme Court allowed Republican legislators in Texas to implement the new map. In response, over a dozen states across the country are considering revising their maps ahead of the November 2026 election, potentially changing ballots and polling locations.
- President Trump, a vocal opponent of mail-in voting, is reportedly preparing an executive order to restrict eligibility. The CBCF’s Voting Rights Scorecard has information on voting laws, including mail-in voting, in 15 key states to help Black communities stay informed and prepared to vote on November 3, 2026.
- The 2026 midterms will carry significant implications for Black communities, as thin Republican majorities in the House and Senate could shift. If Democrats regain the House, Congressional Black Caucus Member and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is likely to become the first Black Speaker of the House.
Workforce
- Federal reductions in force, the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and the rapid expansion of AI automation are reshaping the labor market and hitting Black workers the hardest. Last year, over 200,000 civil-service employees separated from the federal government, either voluntarily or involuntarily.
- In 2023, Black Americans made up 18% of the federal workforce, and the Trump Administration’s anti-DEI policies have eliminated positions and halted the recruitment efforts that build a more diverse civil service. Similar rollbacks are now occurring in the private sector and in higher education, as institutions defund programs that support marginalized workers and students while courts consider the legality of these actions.
- Black Americans are overrepresented in service and manufacturing industries. By embracing AI automation in factories and call centers, corporations are eliminating job opportunities for people of color. In 2026, the Black unemployment rate reached 7.5%, the highest level since October 2021 and more than 300,000 Black women left the workforce in the first half of 2025. As tariffs and inflation drive up costs, job stability and financial security are increasingly critical for Black families navigating economic uncertainty.
We will be closely monitoring pending litigation, proposed legislation, and executive orders on these issues, as well as other policy developments affecting Black communities, throughout the year. New research on the impact of federal layoffs on Black Americans in the DC metro area and the transportation challenges posed by the new Medicaid work requirements is forthcoming. Visit our Publications page to read the latest CPAR research.