THE LAST 10 YEARS Donald Trump spent running for president had an organizing principle: They ruined America, and we have to take it back. The "theys" were a varied group: immigrants, whistleblowers, trans people, journalists, Democrats, civil servants, independent-minded Republicans. But Trump's option for dealing with resistance was the same: unsparing retribution, often trampling the norms of a legal and political system attempting to thwart his antidemocratic power grabs.

So we asked those whom Trump has explicitly targeted how they plan to face the next four years. Our reporters talked to people who are threatened and those who are fighting back: an asylum seeker, a former government official, a reproductive rights advocate, a parent of a trans child. The dire consequences of Trump's potential actions can be lost in the sheer scope of his intentions, summarized in the 900-plus-page Project 2025 playbook that was drawn up by the Heritage Foundation. Yet the damage Trump's agenda intends to inflict will change the lives of millions of people, including our readers, who sent in dozens of responses when we asked what they most fear about the incoming administration.

With Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, a bevy of Cabinet picks selected mainly for their loyalty to Trump, and years of planning, the transformation of our institutions in a second term is likely to be much swifter. “Together, we're going to unlock America's glorious destiny," Trump promised in his campaign victory speech. "We're going to achieve the most incredible future for our people." That promise comes at a cost-for you, your neighbors, and our country.

"IF I GET DEPORTED, IT WILL BE THE END OF ME."

REMOVING IMMIGRANTS

Andrés García