President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that he would be terminating the Digital Equity Act, labeling it “racist,” “illegal” and “unconstitutional.”

Under the act, states like Illinois had created digital equity programs intended to expand internet access in rural communities. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker responded to the program termination in a May 19 press release, claiming Trump was “turning his back on rural America” and other communities in need.

Here’s what to know.

What is the Digital Equity Act?

The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included federal funding for the Digital Equity Act, which was created to provide expanded internet access and digital skills training to those in rural areas, poorer communities, veterans, seniors and more.

Under the act, Illinois, like many other states, created a Digital Equity Capacity Program, setting up a $23.7 million grant for this digital expansion, according to Pritzker’s press release.

The Illinois Digital Equity Program had a target of distributing electronic devices and providing training and outreach to 10 million people statewide. Between December 2023 and April 2025, “dozens of partner organizations hosted more than 4,300 digital skills training classes, participated in more than 900 community outreach events and distributed more than 1,400 devices,” according to the release.

These partners included nonprofits, libraries and healthcare organizations.

Pritzker responds to Trump terminating Digital Equity Act

Gov. JB Pritzker responded to the program’s termination by saying, “The internet is a key to our economy. In Illinois, we need to make sure our many rural areas have the tools they need to access the internet and the doorways it opens for jobs, education, and telemedicine.”

He continued by criticizing the Trump administration, saying, “Instead of enabling more people to participate in our economy, Donald Trump is turning his back on rural America, veterans, seniors, and other communities who deserve the opportunity to use the internet to access basic services and help grow our economy.”

Digital literacy in Illinois

Pritzker’s press release outlined the findings of a statewide internet use phone survey, which showed that at least 1.3 million residents across approximately 540,000 households have low digital literacy skills.

This means the group didn’t feel confident using the internet to complete at least one basic task asked of them, including creating a resume.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Trump terminates Digital Equity Program in Illinois. What to know

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