Government Is Funded—Mostly
After a brief, partial shutdown that lasted through the weekend, the U.S. Government is open as of Tuesday. The House of Representatives agreed to peel off the DHS funding package from the six remaining bills once it came back into session. While funding for DHS remains uncertain, the rest of the government, including Financial Services and General Government, are funded through September of this year.
New SBA Guidelines Bar Green Card Holders
On Monday, the Small Business Administration issued new policy changes to the 7a program that will take effect on March 1, 2026. The SBA will now require that 100% of all direct and/or indirect owners of a small business applicant be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals who have their Principal Residence in the United States and its territories to be eligible for 7a loans.
As our CEO, Carolina Martinez, told Politico and CBS News, these actions threaten the economic mobility that underpins the American Dream by cutting off business ownership opportunities for immigrant entrepreneurs—who have been starting businesses at twice the rate of the general population and strengthening key domestic industries. With equal access, immigrant entrepreneurs and the communities they serve could contribute an estimated $2 trillion to U.S. GDP; instead, these policies risk destabilizing Main Street economies nationwide. Read our full statement here.
CAMEO Network joins Democratic leaders on the Senate and House Small Business Committees in condemning the changes and will work with elected officials to rescind them. If you have clients who will be affected by this new guidance, please email Daniela Fernandez-Ulen.