Trump has threatened to dissolve the Department of Education and stop critical conversations about issues like race from taking place in classrooms. But Washington only provides between a tenth and quarter of funding for K-12 education. I know as an educator that civic education is the bedrock of democracy. We must invest in our schools, protect students from Trump’s immigration policies, and make sure classrooms remain a place for critical thought and culturally responsive pedagogy.

Trump has directed agencies to roll back critical policies designed to limit CO2 emissions, and he revoked Biden’s plan to ensure half of all new vehicles are electric. As with education, a majority of transportation infrastructure does not come from the federal budget. We need to create a safe, accessible subway system; invest in bike lanes; and promote sustainable building. We must protect congestion pricing and double down on policies that support a growing population and plan for a warming climate.

Trump says repealing the Affordable Care Act is one of his key priorities, and he has threatened to further limit access to abortion by doing things like reinstating the 19th Century Comstock Act (which bans the mailing of abortion pills). I’ve been teaching about the Comstock Act for years now in my American political development course. The original act directly targeted immigrant communities, women, and other marginalized groups, and this reinstatement would do the same. We have to make sure that everyone has access to healthcare, which is a basic human right. And we have to invest in women’s health, reproductive health, and maternal health as we face an attack on women that disproportionately targets women of color.

Trump is undermining trust in our democratic institutions. When the President claims that our election was rigged and breaks down basic checks and balances, he is endangering the one thing all democracies rely on: trust. Research tells us that Americans don’t think our institutions matter and don’t think politicians are listening to them. I know from my work promoting responsive lawmaking in states, in Congress, and in legislatures around the world that rebuilding trust in government is the most important way to protect our democracy. Programs like participatory budgeting, platforms that allow citizens to take an active part in legislation, inclusive town halls designed to meet everyone, and civic education programs are more important than ever.

Trump is trying to seize more power for the presidency. I’ve studied Congress my entire career, and the era most similar to this one is the Watergate era. Like Trump, Nixon spied on citizens, used agencies to retaliate against political enemies, and lied to Congress. In the election after the Watergate scandal, over 90 new members of Congress were elected, and many of them ran to create change. In the 1970s, Congress passed campaign finance reform, solidified their “power of the purse”, limited presidential power in foreign wars, and made dramatic changes to legislative procedure. We must similarly use this moment of profound disappointment as a catalyst for making a more equitable and just city and country.

Trump is attacking the core of what makes NYC great. This is a city of immigrants. I’m the proud granddaughter of immigrants who came to NYC because they were fleeing discrimination. We need to expand legal services, rapid response, and language access for immigrant communities; expand Temporary Protected Status; and make sure that schools, hospitals, and other key community institutions are safe for all. Racism and xenophobia are not new in this country, and we can learn from how marginalized groups have rallied together in the past. We must get organized, get active, and band together to protect our immigrant neighbors.