Stephen Miller, Trump’s former Senior Political Advisor who authored much of that administration’s racist immigration policy, contributed to some of the anti-migrant language in Project 2025. Its draft recommends the arrest, detention and deportation of undocumented families living in the U.S. It also encourages the president to withhold federal disaster relief funds granted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to states and local governments which do not agree with their anti-migrant laws or do not willingly turn undocumented workers over to the police.

Another concern progressive individuals have about Project 2025 is how it aims to essentially harm workers, destroy labor unions and make it merely impossible for employees to collectively organize. Project 2025 purportedly seeks to replace labor unions with “employee involvement organizations,” which would basically weaken workers’ rights and embolden hostile employers.

Proposals in the program are designed to gut the National Labor Relations Board’s authority and enforcement capacity. The NLRB is an independent agency that oversees union elections in the U.S. private sector, and the board issues decisions involving labor law violations. The Heritage Foundation’s proposed manuscript openly plans on firing the NLRB general counsel “on Day One,” and union leaders fear that could jeopardize the agency’s ability to protect workers in active organizing campaigns. (americanprogress.org, June 20)

Under Project 2025, unorganized workers would also be at risk of losing the few protections they currently have. The bigoted program calls for the elimination of all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and affirmative action, which would allow racist and sexist bosses to blatantly discriminate against employees. The hateful authors of the document want employers to have the ability to fire workers without “just cause” and to deny due process or any type of employment protections.

[…]

The concerns progressive people have about Project 2025 are legitimate and understandable. At the same time, the Heritage Foundation and their far-right agenda is nothing new, and it is not unique to a second, possible Trump presidency. In fact, some of the project’s content is similar to the policies promoted by the Reagan and both Bush administrations, as well as the Clinton administration.

Project 2025 was established in April 2022, but it has only been a topic of conversation in recent months. Part of the reason for that is because the Democratic Party is in disarray, and the Heritage Foundation’s new handbook may give the Democrats some leverage in the upcoming election. Much of the corporate media has openly expressed concerns over the document and has exposed some of its most controversial proposals.

Due to its lack of popularity among voters, Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 on Truth Social. He wrote on July 11: “I disagree with some of the things they’re saying, and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.” Despite his attempt to separate himself from the despotic program, Trump’s new running mate J.D. Vance has a close relationship with the Heritage Foundation and Kevin Roberts.