Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo directing the FBI and federal prosecutors to compile lists of organizations the Justice Department classifies as potential “domestic terrorist” threats based on ideological views including “radical gender ideology,” “anti-Americanism,” “anti-capitalism,” and “anti-Christianity.” The memo implements National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7) and authorizes the FBI to review intelligence from the past five years, solicit tips through an upgraded system with financial rewards for informants, and directs the Treasury Department to audit nonprofits’ taxes. The directive may encompass arts and cultural non-profit organizations and institutions whose artists or past programming explored themes related to race, gender, immigration, or nationalism, among others. The vague and overbroad nature of the directive could create a strong chilling effect for arts and cultural organizations.

A divided U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals panel vacated a district court injunction that had blocked enforcement of Texas Senate Bill 12 since 2023, allowing the state to resume enforcing the law restricting “sexually oriented performances” in public or before minors. The ruling found most plaintiffs lacked standing and remanded the case for further constitutional review under new Supreme Court standards. The law imposes Class A misdemeanor penalties (up to one year in jail and $4,000 fine for individuals; up to $10,000 for business entities), raising concerns about suppression of drag performance art and LGBTQ+ cultural expression despite the court’s statement that the law only applies to performances deemed “sexually oriented” and “erotic.”

On October 28, 2025, the White House terminated all six sitting members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts via email, informing them their positions were “terminated, effective immediately.” The Commission, established by Congress in 1910, advises the president, Congress, and Washington, D.C. on matters of design and aesthetics for federal monuments, memorials, coins, and government buildings. A White House official stated the administration is “preparing to appoint a new slate of members to the commission that are more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies.” The dismissals occurred as the Commission was expected to review Trump’s controversial construction projects, including a 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom and triumphal arch, raising concerns about political interference in independent cultural and architectural oversight.

Todd Arrington, director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, was forced to resign on October 2, 2025, after refusing a Trump administration request to relinquish an Eisenhower-owned sword from the library’s collection as a gift to King Charles III during the president’s September state visit. Arrington maintained that donated artifacts become property of the American people and offered a replica instead, which was ultimately provided by West Point. On September 29, supervisors at the National Archives and Records Administration told Arrington to “resign or be fired,” citing that he could “no longer be trusted with confidential information” related to the sword dispute. His removal raises concerns about federal political interference in curatorial authority and the preservation of publicly-owned cultural heritage at national institutions.

In late August and September 2025, the Department of Education sent non-continuation notices to dozens of federal grant recipients mid-way through multi-year grant periods, including arts education initiatives, civics and literacy programs, and higher education projects. The notices stated that programs no longer align with the administration’s education policy priorities of “merit, fairness, and excellence,” with some notices alleging violations of federal civil rights law according to the administration’s interpretation. Among the canceled grants were at least nine arts education initiatives funded under the Assistance for Arts Education program, including a University of Nebraska-Lincoln project to infuse art teaching across subjects that lost its final year of funding. Grant recipients were given seven days to appeal, leaving institutions and educators facing abrupt funding disruptions and uncertainty about program continuation.

On August 25, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14341, titled “Prosecuting Burning of the American Flag,” directing the Department of Justice to prioritize prosecution of flag desecration when it coincides with violations of existing federal, state, or local laws, and instructing the Attorney General to pursue litigation to challenge First Amendment protections established in Texas v. Johnson (1989). The order also directs the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to deny, revoke, or terminate visas, residence permits, and naturalization proceedings for foreign nationals who engage in flag desecration. While the order focuses on protest activity, its broad language regarding “flag desecration” and targeting of foreign nationals could create a chilling effect on symbolic and artistic expression, particularly among immigrant artists and cultural workers engaging in political or protest-themed work. Civil liberties organizations immediately challenged the order as unconstitutional selective enforcement of protected speech.

On August 22, 2025, the NEA canceled its Creative Writing Fellowships program for FY 2026, notifying applicants via email that the creative writing category has been “withdrawn by the Agency.” The email stated the NEA is “updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the Administration,” including support for HBCUs, Hispanic Serving Institutions, the America250 anniversary, houses of worship, and AI competency. The fellowships, which had offered up to $50,000 to published fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry writers since 1966, supported notable authors including Alice Walker, Maxine Hong Kingston, Louise Erdrich, and Sandra Cisneros.

USCIS issued Policy Alert PA-2025-16 directing officers to assign “overwhelmingly negative discretionary weight” to evidence that immigration applicants have “endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused” anti-American, antisemitic, or terrorist ideologies when adjudicating benefit requests. The policy applies to discretionary immigration benefits including adjustment of status, work authorization, status changes and extensions, and affects international arts students (F-1), cultural exchange participants (J-1), and artists seeking work permits (H-1B, O-1). Officers review applicants’ social media and online activity for content deemed anti-American, creating a chilling effect on artistic and political expression for cultural workers in the US immigration system. Rights groups have warned that the vaguely defined standard of “anti-American ideologies” grants officers broad discretion to deny applications if the applicant holds views that, while peaceful, may be out of favor with the current Presidential administration.

Parties affected: On July 22, 2025, the U.S. announced its withdrawal from UNESCO, citing the organization’s “divisive social and cultural causes” and perceived anti-Israel bias, effective December 31, 2026. The withdrawal eliminates U.S. influence over international cultural policy and ends American institutions’ access to UNESCO funding, partnerships, and networks for heritage conservation. U.S. World Heritage sites lose access to international preservation support and expertise, while museums, universities, and cultural organizations are cut off from global collaboration on heritage protection. Critics warn the move weakens multilateral safeguards for cultural heritage worldwide and cedes cultural diplomacy leadership to other nations.

On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Mahmoud v. Taylor that schools must notify parents and allow religious opt-outs from lessons using LGBTQ-themed storybooks. The decision creates legal and financial incentives for schools to preemptively remove LGBTQ+ literature from classrooms to avoid lawsuits, effectively restricting students’ access to diverse cultural expression and limiting their ability to participate in literary education that reflects varied identities and experiences. Justice Sotomayor’s dissent warned the ruling would have a “chilling effect” that leads to censorship of artistic and cultural materials in school curricula nationwide.

The State Department issued a press release and corresponding cable requiring all F, M, and J visa applicants to set all social media profiles to “public” for consular officer review of their “entire online presence.” Officers must temporarily refuse cases under INA § 221(g) to conduct post-interview vetting screening for “hostile attitudes toward U.S. citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles.” This policy creates substantial barriers and processing delays for international students and cultural exchange participants, effectively screening artistic and political expression as a visa eligibility criterion. The requirement forces artists, musicians, theater practitioners, and students to expose all online content to government surveillance and self-censor expression to obtain visas for studying or participating in cultural exchange in the United States. Human rights organizations have raised concerns that this barrier to entry may be used to discriminate against visa applicants whose views or beliefs do not align with the current Presidential administration.

Presidential Proclamation 10949 established travel restrictions on 19 countries, with full entry suspension for 12 countries (Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen) and partial suspension for 7 countries (Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela) restricting immigrant visas and B (visitor), F (student), M (vocational), and J (cultural exchange) nonimmigrant visas. The proclamation directly limits cultural exchange and artistic mobility, preventing international artists, students at arts universities, and cultural exchange participants from these countries from entering the United States. Valid visas issued before June 9, 2025 remain valid, but nationals from these countries cannot obtain new visas except through narrow national interest exceptions. A federal judge has already limited the June 4, 2025 travel-ban proclamation (Proclamation 10949) by ruling that the government cannot use it to block entry for 80 previously vetted refugees, showing that courts are scrutinizing its application even though the proclamation itself remains in effect.