90-day clock expires on President Trump’s order for Lumbee recognition
Happy Monday! Welcome to Under the Dome. It’s Danielle Battaglia with our weekly edition focused on how the Trump administration is affecting North Carolina.
When President Donald Trump campaigned for reelection he promised to sign the Lumbee Fairness Act into law if Congress passed it.
But three days after being sworn in, Trump took matters into his own hands and signed an order directing the Department of Interior to find a legal path forward for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to receive full benefits afforded to Native American tribes that are federally recognized.
The 90 days allowed for that review ended last week, and we’re still waiting to hear what comes next.
In the meantime, we partnered with The Assembly and Border Belt Independent for a deep dive into the history of the Lumbee, their fight for federal recognition and what has stood in their way.
That fight began 137 years ago in 1888, when the Lumbee first appeared before Congress seeking federal recognition. In 1956, it felt for a moment like they had won the fight. It was then that President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law legislation that gave them recognition. But that victory was quickly overshadowed by defeat when the tribe realized it was recognition in name only. It didn’t provide the typical federal benefits, or funding, that comes with it. So they continued to fight.
Lumbee leadership and members of Congress talked to us about what it meant to see Trump’s signature on this executive order. Last week, Sen. Thom Tillis announced on social media that his office received the executive order from the White House, even as he’s leading the Capitol Hill fight to pass the Lumbee Fairness Act. The tribe has the Sharpie Trump used to sign that order.
We’ve been told to stay tuned for updates and will keep you apprised.
Here are other stories from the week:
- For 18 months, a building on NC State’s campus has been closed after the presence of toxic chemicals was discovered. Now an investigation into those toxins is shuttered due to federal workforce cuts by the Trump administration. Korie Dean has more.
- Is your student loan in default? The Department of Education plans to crack down on people who have stopped repayment of their loans. Find out what happens next and what you can do. David Raynor and The Sacramento Bee’s David Lightman have more.
- Pope Francis died Monday morning, one day after leading the Catholic church in the celebration of Easter. A former Raleigh bishop tells Josh Shaffer and Kristen Johnson about his time with the pope. And Trump and Gov. Josh Stein ordered flags to be flown at half-mast in his honor, Evan Moore reports.
- All 115 of North Carolina’s school districts and the state signed an agreement not to use “illegal” diversity, equity and inclusion practices in education. But Superintendent Mo Green is also pushing back and asking if the Trump administration can require anything beyond what’s already in the law, T. Keung Hui reports.
- Federal funds were secured last year to help Western North Carolina recover from Helene, but community leaders are saying they haven’t seen a dime. Briah Lumpkins has more.
- Duke University issued a warning to its international students not to leave the United States during their summer break, even if they’re a green card holder. University leaders worry that the Trump administration might prevent those students’ return, Brian Gordon reports.
Don’t forget, we want to hear from our readers, if Trump’s new policies are having a personal impact on you. You can fill out the form we created to get in touch with our staff and tell us your personal stories.
That’s it for now. Be kind to each other. And check back tomorrow for the Under the Dome podcast newsletter.
And if you have any feedback or tips for this new edition of the newsletter feel free to reach out to me directly at dbattaglia@mcclatchydc.com.
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This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "90-day clock expires on President Trump’s order for Lumbee recognition."
