DAMAGE REPORT:
The Assault on Working Women Under the Trump Administration, Including Illinois Impacts
January 20, 2026 marks the one-year anniversary of the second Trump Administration. For many of us, there has been no recent 12-month period marked by such direct attacks on workers’ rights, women’s freedoms, and the fundamental structures of our democracy. Illinois has been a particular target of this administration’s actions, and the most vulnerable among us have borne the brunt.
To better understand the damage this administration has caused we have issued a Damage Report. In this report, we outline the alarming actions designed and executed by this administration in their first year to harm working women nationwide, and the impacts they are having in Illinois. We are also lifting up the ways we’re fighting back, and how YOU can make a difference.
Since Finalizing This Report
We finalized the content of this report on January 13, 2026. Since then, we have already seen updates to the issues included within; victories resulting from our defiance. For instance:
- On page 7 of the report, we detail the administration’s plans to begin garnishing wages of student loan borrowers in default. On the heels of coordinated pushback from advocates, the U.S. Department of Education announced on January 16th that they are rolling back those plans, putting an immediate pause on wage garnishment, as well as tax refund offsets.
For the Common Good
Check out our series where Women Employed breaks down the administration’s actions, as well as important issues that impact working women and their families—including the roles and the work of key federal agencies, departments, and programs—and what you can do to make an impact.
