The first year of a polarizing second term for President Donald Trump has come to a close; and its impacts, even on smaller liberal communities like Ithaca, are widespread. This first year represents a struggle seen time and time before in American politics, the conflict between national and local government. This is not an argument for a smaller federal government, rather a plea for understanding the impact of national politics on all of our lives, with effects far surpassing election day.
Ithaca has undoubtedly felt the impact of the Trump administration’s policies. For example, the City of Ithaca’s Green New Deal, where federal grants made up 85% of the funding, has been effectively put to a halt. Trump’s Unleashing American Energy executive order from Jan. 20, 2025, effectively reversed former President Joe Biden’s climate policies and divested from climate change related concerns. Without the federal grants, Ithaca can no longer effectively fund its own local version of the Green New Deal.
On April 28, 2025, Trump’s executive order called Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens, targeted state and local governments in conflict with national immigration law. In 2017, Ithaca declared its status as a sanctuary city, passing the Public Safety for All resolution. In February 2025, the Ithaca Common Council reaffirmed the sanctuary city status after an ICE arrest a week prior.
The conflict Ithaca faces with the federal government is a further reflection of the importance of staying politically engaged beyond election day, as well as the significance of local politics. One of the most crucial aspects of democracy is accepting defeat when losing to opponents, ironically, very much unlike the attitudes leading to the events of Jan. 6, 2021. But is it important to hold the government accountable and call it out when conflicts arise.
Indivisible Tompkins, a grassroots group dedicated to “supporting our local community and promoting democracy” founded January 2025, holds Weekly Honk and Wave to Protect Democracy demonstrations. According to their website, the group will continue these weekly protests until Trump is out of office. This unbroken engagement demonstrates the perseverance of local community members not losing hope, or becoming politically cynical.
It is easy to look at the national political stage and feel completely disconnected from it. But people turning a blind eye to political issues they believe do not directly impact them only reflects their unwillingness to confront larger systemic issues that will undoubtedly impact us all. Politics, for better or for worse, impacts our everyday life, whether we choose to acknowledge that fact or not.
