Tracking Federal Information and Data Resources

Please note that this is a living document and will be regularly updated with new information as we monitor this evolving situation. If you have recommendations or corrections, please contact us at lib-research-data@umd.edu. 

Since Donald Trump's second inauguration, he has signed dozens of Executive Orders and issued numerous statements that have directed government agencies to delete thousands of government web pages, removing important government data from public access. As of February 22, 2025, nearly 3,400 datasets have been removed from Data.gov alone. Among the pages taken down are more than 3,000 pages from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3,000 pages from the Census Bureau, more than 1,000 pages from the Office of Justice Programs, and more. The removed pages contained data, information about policies and programs, training materials, guidelines, and press statements. Information related to public health, LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, and other topics that the Trump administration has targeted in ant-DEI orders and memos. 

The Scholarly Kitchen outlines the dangers of these actions; they warn that consequences include: 

• Suppression and distortion of research and research outcomes
• Retractions of research publications, data, and/or researcher names within those publications
• Erasure of the diverse voices and perspectives that contribute to a complete scholarly record
• Preemptive capitulation to censorship, abandonment of core values, and avoidance of important but politically sensitive topics
• Damage to the reputation and long-term competitiveness of U.S. research and, by extension, the economy
• Loss of U.S.-based researchers' participation in the global scientific and research discourse
• Threats to the health and wellbeing of the general public, both in the U.S. and around the world

(Meadows, A. 2025, February 19. Declaration to #DefendResearch against US government censorship. The Scholarly Kitchen). 

Guide co-editors: Isabella Baxter, Cindy Frank, Lindsay Inge Carpenter, Lexi Kadis

Contributors: Celina McDonald, Joshua Westgard, Michelle Wilson, Pam McClanahan, Amy Wickner