Trump orders federal agencies to stop enforcing rules he dislikes, alarms legal and environmental experts

President Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to halt the enforcement of numerous regulations, effectively sidelining laws he deems unfavorable, raising significant concerns among legal experts, environmental advocates, and civil servants.

Over 40 regulatory changes have been proposed at the Department of Energy, aiming to eliminate water and energy efficiency standards for household appliances such as faucets, clothes washers, and microwave ovens.

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The administration estimates these changes will save taxpayers $11 billion, positioning it as the largest deregulatory effort in the department's history.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also seen a significant reduction in enforcement actions, particularly those impacting the fossil fuel industry.

The agency has initiated 19 fewer cases per month on average compared to the Biden administration's last year in office.

Critics argue that these moves bypass lawful rulemaking processes, potentially violating laws such as the Administrative Procedure Act.

Richard Revesz, former head of the White House regulatory affairs office under President Joe Biden, stated, "They're making across-the-board decisions not to enforce whole categories of standards, and it is of very dubious legality."

The administration's actions have also impacted the Labor Department, where enforcement of equal employment opportunity laws has sputtered. Employees report that work at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has ground to a halt, even though much of it is still mandated by laws from the 1970s that have not been overturned.

These enforcement slowdowns have led to reduced hiring in legal sectors that defend companies against regulatory actions.

Stephen Springer, a managing partner at a legal recruiting firm, noted, "CFPB enforcement work is dormant completely. I don't think anybody expects those enforcement areas to be particularly busy for the next three years."

Legal experts warn that the administration's approach, choosing not to enforce laws the president dislikes, is unprecedented and legally dubious. Peter Shane, an emeritus law professor at Ohio State University, remarked, "To my knowledge, no other president has taken that kind of stance."