The Smithsonian’s Illegal Alien Political Activism

A new White House report “Saving America’s Story” documents in detail how the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History  changed its exhibits to make the interests and activism of illegal aliens a central narrative while the rights, wages, safety, and cohesion of American citizens were consistently sidelined. 

Here are some of the key findings:

The Smithsonian celebrates illegal alien political activism

The museum cast “illegal alien political activism in heroic terms, partnered with and interviewed deported illegal aliens, and designed official materials that included signs advocating for the abolition of the “287g” program, which allows local law enforcement to partner with federal law enforcement to identify and deport criminal illegal aliens.” (p.4)

One Smithsonian magazine article “document[ed] the stories and efforts of these illegal alien activists, including some who ousted a sheriff for helping ICE deport some of the worst criminals.” (p.30)

The report highlights the following quote from the Smithsonian’s website (now deleted) which frames illegal aliens in the U.S. as “heirs to the emancipation of American slaves and the Civil Rights Movement”:

“There are only a handful of moments in our nation’s history when people without citizenship or voting rights have changed government policy. It happened during emancipation, woman suffrage, and civil rights, and it’s happening again right now with undocumented immigrant organizing,” (p.29)

The Smithsonian created “a “Becoming US” educational curriculum that instructs high school teachers to avoid using the terms “illegal alien,” “illegal immigrant,” “illegal, illegals”’ (p.39) as one method to change the conversation around illegal immigration.

The report was produced as directed by a March 2025 Executive Order. President Trump signed a new executive order on July 24, 2026 directing the installation of temporary signage along the National Park Service walkways leading to the Museum and adding temporary exhibits to correct inaccurate information presented inside the Museum. 

The President does not have authority over the exhibits inside of the Smithsonian itself, so those signs inform visitors of the report’s conclusions. The Smithsonian is accountable only to their own board of directors and to Congress.