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Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup: a reliable weekly source of information, inspiration, and action for the first hundred days of the second Trump administration. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it.

Today is Friday, Jan. 31, day 12 of the new Trump administration. It’s abundantly clear that the Trump administration is using a strategy of shock and awe to “flood the zone.” It’s hard to keep up with the barrage of dismaying and often demoralizing executive orders and policy decisions — and that’s the point. Frenzy and chaos are core features of the Trump administration. Some of these actions, while discouraging, are well within his power as president; others represent a stretch of democratic norms — or an abuse of his authority. This administration hopes to exploit a demoralized and overwhelmed opposition to quickly accomplish as much of its agenda as possible. While this strategy is designed to make us tune out and feel defenseless, our Christian response must be one of a faith-rooted hope, courage, and resilience. Together, we can stay informed and exercise the power of our communities. Together we will choose to nurture our spirits for the road ahead. We’ll be with you every Friday to help you with all of the above.

— Rev. Adam Taylor and Rev. Moya Harris, Sojourners

In the News

Here’s what’s been happening this week:

1) The new administration has taken several drastic actions related to federal funding including a later-rescinded memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget that instructed the federal government to freeze funding on all loans and grants. The memo “sent officials at schools, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, research companies and many others into a frantic scramble,” per the New York Times. Lawsuits swiftly filed by a coalition of nonprofits and state attorneys general appear to have halted the far-reaching freeze for now. However, many other executive orders, such as the one freezing nearly all U.S. foreign assistance — including programs that deliver lifesaving care for HIV/AIDS — remain in effect, causing significant harms in the U.S. and around the world.

2) Confirmation hearings continued this week for President Donald Trump’s high-level administration nominees, including three who are among the most problematic: Kash Patel for FBI director, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health and human services secretary, and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. All three have faced tough questioning from some of the Democrats in the hearings and largely united support from Republicans.

3) On immigration, Trump’s crackdown has not only included actions such as allowing for ICE raids at schools and churches and summary deportation of nearly all migrant people arriving at the southern border, but also an indefinite freeze on refugee admissions from regions affected by war and other crises around the world. The refugee freeze immediately stranded more than 22,000 refugees who had been previously approved to come to the U.S. after a years-long vetting process.

4) Trump signed an executive order targeting transgender and other gender-diverse children by seeking to end all gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19. The order seeks to prohibit federal funding for children to receive this care through Medicare, Medicaid, and government employees’ health insurance. The order also demands that institutions receiving federal research and education grants stop providing gender-affirming care for children.

Take Action

• Tell Congress to end the pause on U.S. foreign assistance and protect domestic nutrition programs. Bread for the World has made it easy to contact your members of Congress and tell them to restore funding for foreign aid and protect programs that help feed nearly 48 million people in the U.S.

• Tell your senators: Carefully vet and question Trump’s cabinet nominees! We need to make sure senators exercise their responsibility to oppose nominees for the cabinet and other key positions who show themselves to be unqualified, extreme, or place their loyalty to Trump ahead of the good of the country. The next few days are critical for opposing problematic nominees, such as Kash Patel, RFK Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard. Contact your senators today and urge them to defend the checks and balances of our democracy.

What We’re Reading

We’ve added this new section to provide more in-depth reading and resources from our Sojourners colleagues. We hope these resources provide deeper context and new perspectives on these important topics.

• We Are Here: Refugee Storytellers. We celebrate the strength, resilience, and stories of refugees worldwide. Watch their stories here.
  

• What Will We Risk To Defy Unjust Immigration Orders? “In the late 19th century, Chinese Christians joined other migrants in defying government orders, even at threat of deportation. Will we have the same courage?” asks Russell Jeung.
  

• 5 Things Your Religious Community Can Do to Support Trans People. “As the U.S. government escalates its discrimination against trans people, religious communities must escalate their support of the trans community,” writes Oisín Rowe.

Deep Breaths

Persistence is Key

Friends, as we continue to breathe deeply for ourselves and for our neighbors, reflect on the promises found in John 2:17-25, and pray within your heart the words of William Edward Burghardt Du Bois:

In these first beginnings of the new life of the world, renew in us the resolution to persist in the good work we have begun. Give us strength of body and strength of mind and the unfaltering determination to carry out that which we know to be good and right. Forgive all wavering in the past service of Thy cause and make us strong to go forward in spite of the doubts of our friends and our enemies and in spite of our own distrust in ourselves. Out of the death of winter comes ever and again the resurrection of spring: so out of evil bring good, O God, and out of doubt determination. Amen.

— Rev. Moya Harris, Director of Racial Justice, Sojourners

The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff:
President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor
Director of Racial Justice: Rev. Moya Harris
Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson
Senior Adviser and Director to the President’s Office: Elizabeth Denlinger Reaves
Senior Director of Campaigns and Mobilizing: Sandy Ovalle Martínez
Director of Congregational Outreach & Education: Rev. Andrea Saccoccio
Digital Communications Associate: Lexi Schnaser
Senior Director of Marketing: Sandra Sims