From the Editor: Making sense of all the chaos as Trump attempts to reshape our world
It’s been quite a roller coaster ride since President Donald Trump returned to the White House just over two weeks ago, and we’re working hard to help make sense of the historic transformation in progress.
By “we” I mean our local newsroom of six reporters; our state government reporter, Simone Carter in Olympia; our McClatchy Northwest partner news outlets in Tacoma, Olympia, Tri-Cities and Boise; our regional Service Journalism team; and our national D.C. bureau.
Today I am offering a selection of our work so far so you can see it all in one place in case you missed something that is important to you.
A wave of protests across the nation on Wednesday included a gathering of more than 1,500 people at the state Capitol in Olympia. The gathering coincided with similar events at all 50 state capitals. And it wasn’t just state capitals. Bellingham had its own protest and march on Wednesday as well.
Whatcom County
In response to President Trump’s executive order to deport millions of undocumented immigrants — including so-called “dreamers” brought to the U.S. as children — we talked with local officials about their potential role in such deportations and what will guide their decisions.
A lot was still unknown when we published that article, and I assure you we are pressing for updates.
When the White House announced a pause on payments for federal grants and other programs, an executive order that was soon rescinded following several legal challenges, we looked into local effects.
But that order was rescinded, so why should we care? Well, I’d argue that “rescinded” doesn’t mean gone forever. Let’s try to understand more about what it means before a potential return.
Washington
Trump also announced tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada, though those against Mexico and Canada have been paused for 30 days. What might these tariffs — and retaliatory tariffs — mean for our state? These four articles examine that question:
- Washington exports to Canada
- Washington imports from Canada
- Washington exports to Mexico
- Washington imports from Mexico
Regarding immigration and potential deportations, we’ve published three Reality Check articles: one about bounty hunters; another about applications designed to track ICE activity; and another about local jails’ role in deportation efforts.
As you might expect, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson and his new administration have been busy responding as well. The following stories address how our state government is reacting and any guidance officials have provided so far:
- WA leads multi-state lawsuit against Trump’s exec order ending birthright citizenship
- OSPI issues guidance to schools to protect undocumented students amid immigration crackdown
- WA signs up for multi-state lawsuit over Trump’s federal financial-assistance freeze
- Gov. Bob Ferguson signs executive order protecting children affected by Trump deportations
And here’s a quick list of some other related statewide articles we’ve published.
- Trump’s federal hiring freeze could have a ‘disastrous’ impact on national parks in summer
- Nearly 90% Hispanic Eastern WA city assures residents ‘no immigration raids’ occurring
- Trump cancels hundreds of WA refugee flights. How this nonprofit plans to respond
- Are Trump administration deportation flights using planes from Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
- City Council declares Olympia the state’s first sanctuary city for trans and queer people
Resources
We’ve also compiled various lists of resources to consider as you navigate through all the abrupt policy shifts. So far we have articles about rights and protections for our LGBTQ+ community; alternatives for accessing health information after Trump paused updates from the CDC and FDA; a guide to immigrant rights and resources in Washington; guidance for transgender people attempting to complete a gender change for U.S. passports; and an explanation of your rights when you witness ICE activity.
Pro tip
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So this is where we’re at so far. Clearly, there is much more work to be done.
You can help by submitting news tips, story ideas or questions to newsroom@bellinghamherald.com. Please reach out if you see something that doesn’t look right or if you know of Whatcom County residents who have lost jobs due to recent developments.
Things are moving quickly. We’re working hard to stay out front. We’re able to do so thanks in large part to our loyal subscribers. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support. If you aren’t a current subscriber and you’re interested in signing up, I encourage you to visit www.bellinghamherald.com/subscribe.
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM.