From the beginning of the school year, American Politics had been filled with major actions, policy changes and debates that continue to affect citizens across the country and here in Maryland. Federal and state leaders have focused on issues such as the economy, education, healthcare, immigration, and public safety, creating decisions that directly impact students, families, and local communities. As students at Eleanor Roosevelt High School look back on the year so far, understanding the political events helps to promote awareness, encourage informed discussion, and keep young people connected to the issues shaping America today. Not only does this shape America it shapes students and their school year.
From September through May, American politics in 2025–2026 was shaped by immigration policy, election campaigning, congressional debates, and federal enforcement actions. In September, immigration and border security dominated national attention after the Associated Press reported in “Florida officials announce more than 6,000 immigration arrests,” highlighting increased enforcement efforts. In October, midterm election campaigning intensified across the United States, as Reuters covered in “Trump targets deals in pharma, AI, energy, mining before midterm elections,” showing how political strategy and the economy were closely linked. In November, political focus remained on immigration and federal policy debates, including the Associated Press article “Top US immigration official defends rule targeting ‘anti-American’ views in green card, visa process,” which reflected ongoing legal and immigration controversies. In December, Congress debated federal spending and potential government shutdown risks, as reported in CNN’s “Government shutdown concerns grow as Congress debates spending bills.” In January, new congressional sessions began while immigration enforcement continued to be a major issue, reflected in AP’s “US deportations to El Salvador double as Bukele aligns himself with Trump agenda,” showing continued debate over immigration policy and federal action.
In February something relating to ERHS took place and although ERHS isn’t as big as the United States of America its politics are all the same. On Friday February 13th Our very own student body organized and participated in a walk out against ICE, which we all know were abusing their government powers on citizens and immigrants. We at the raider review even featured the event in a story “Video: Walkouts, Protests, and Visibility Brigades: Everything You Need to Know About Greenbelt Advocacy”, “The UNICEF club hosted a meeting on February 10th to make protest signs for the school supported walkout on Friday, February 13th, in tandem with many other school-based walkouts and protests throughout the country. The walkout was organized by about 60 ERHS students who were passionate about bringing change to their community.”
Following our little big dabble in politics following March, primary election campaigning increased ahead of the 2026 midterms, highlighted in Reuters’ “Here are the Democrats taking early steps in potential 2028 White House bids.” In April, voting rights and election laws became a central issue after Reuters reported “US Supreme Court rebuffs Virginia Democrats in bid for new voting map.” Finally, in May, the election season intensified further as Reuters covered “Trump backs hardliner Ken Paxton in critical Texas US Senate race runoff,” showing how key endorsements shaped the race leading into primary elections.
Politics may seem far from high school students, but government decisions directly affect everyday life through education funding, school safety, healthcare, transportation, and college opportunities. During the 2025–2026 school year, political events also impacted conversations at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, especially during the February walkout protesting ICE policies, showing that students are not just observers of politics but participants in it as well. Staying informed is important because today’s students are tomorrow’s voters, workers, and leaders, and government decisions can shape their future and communities.
