The Trump administration is reshaping when Americans can enter national parks for free – adding President Donald Trump's birthday as a fee-free day while eliminating Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth in a move already drawing criticism from civil rights leaders.

Although presidents often revise the list, the changes are sparking criticism from civil rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers who say the removals undercut holidays that honor Black Americans’ history and contributions.

The shift in free-entry days marks a notable break from the 2025 calendar, which leaned heavily on long-established public lands celebrations and civil rights observances.

This year’s lineup included Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, National Public Lands Day, and the kickoff to National Park Week – all of which disappear under the 2026 schedule.

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In their place, the Trump administration has added a slate of historically themed or presidentially-aligned dates. President Donald Trump’s birthday on June 14 becomes a fee-free day for the first time, as do Constitution Day, the 110th anniversary of the National Park Service, and the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt.

The agency is also shifting some observances to federal holidays with broader national recognition, including Presidents' Day, Memorial Day and a three-day Independence Day weekend.

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Veterans Day remains the lone date carried over from both years, underscoring how dramatically the free-day calendar is being remade heading into 2026.

FOX 5 in DC reported that some civil rights leaders have voiced opposition to the changes.

National Parks Conservation Association spokesperson Kristen Brengel told the station that the elimination of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is concerning, adding that the day had become a popular day of service for community groups that use it to conduct volunteer projects at the parks.

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Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., also weighed in on the changes in a post on X on Friday.

"Let’s be clear here: both MLK Jr. Day and Juneteenth were free entry days last year," she wrote. "The President didn’t just add his own birthday to the list, he removed both of these holidays that mark Black Americans’ struggle for civil rights and freedom. Our country deserves better."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House regarding the changes.

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The Department of Interior is pairing the new free-day schedule with a broader overhaul of how visitors access national parks beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

The agency is rolling out fully digital America the Beautiful passes – including annual, military, senior, fourth-grade and access passes – that can be purchased and displayed on mobile devices through Recreation.gov. Visitors will be able to activate passes instantly and still link them to physical cards if needed.

Officials say updated validation tools and new training for park staff are intended to speed up entrance lines and simplify visitor experiences across the system.

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"President Trump’s leadership always puts American families first," Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said. "These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations."

The department is also refreshing annual pass designs with new patriotic artwork that will appear on both digital and physical versions.

Alongside the digital rollout, the administration announced it is shifting its fee structure to emphasize lower costs for U.S. residents and higher prices for international visitors.

The annual pass will remain $80 for Americans but jump to $250 for nonresidents. Foreign visitors who do not hold a pass will pay an added $100 per person at 11 of the most visited national parks.

The agency is also broadening access for motorcycle riders by allowing all America the Beautiful passes to cover two motorcycles instead of one.

Interior officials say the increased revenue from higher nonresident fees will be directed toward facility upgrades, maintenance projects, and visitor services across the park system.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., expressed frustration Sunday with the framing of the massive "Feeding Our Future" fraud scheme that's embroiled members of the Somali community in her state, saying many Somalis were victims as well since they could have benefited from the program.

"Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan called the extent of the scam "shocking," noting it was the Biden-era Department of Justice that said it was the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the nation and the majority of the reported offenders were Somalis, adding to the "spotlight" on Omar's community.

"Why do you think this fraud was allowed to get so widespread?" Brennan asked.

"I want to say this also has an impact on Somalis, because we are also taxpayers in Minnesota," Omar said. "We also could have benefited from the program and the money that was stolen. So it's been really frustrating for people to not acknowledge the fact that we're also, as Minnesotans, as taxpayers, really upset and angry about the fraud that has occurred."

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Brennan asked Omar if there had been a failure by the Minnesota state government, which is dominated by Democrats.

"That is what I alluded to in my letter that I had sent to the Secretary of AG was to see where things were going wrong. How can this amount of money disappear fraudulently without there being alarms set off?" Omar asked. "And it is something that, you know, we have to continue to investigate. We have to continue to ask those questions."

President Donald Trump and other officials have zeroed in on this and other alleged fraud schemes in recent weeks, arguing that the criminal activity is a result of mismanagement and "incompetence" from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat and former vice presidential candidate.

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Trump and Omar have traded barbs in recent days as well, with Trump calling Somalis "garbage" and saying they should return to their home country. Omar and other critics have called the remarks bigoted and said Trump is trying to distract from his own policy failings.

The back-and-forth comes as Minnesota has come under fresh scrutiny for alleged mismanagement of federal funds, including in distributing money for the nonprofit "Feeding Our Future" program.

Prosecutors have labeled the fraud scheme in the state as the largest pandemic fraud scheme in the country, stemming from allegations that the Minnesota nonprofit and its associates defrauded federal child-nutrition programs for hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID-19 aid.

The New York Times reported last month, "Over the last five years, law enforcement officials say, fraud took root in pockets of Minnesota’s Somali diaspora as scores of individuals made small fortunes by setting up companies that billed state agencies for millions of dollars’ worth of social services that were never provided."

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Omar said she was one of the first members of Congress who inquired about what she called a "reprehensible" scam.

Omar previously told local outlet KARE 11 News, "The alleged fraud scheme orchestrated by ‘Feeding Our Future’ is reprehensible. Using the guise of feeding children to funnel millions of dollars toward extravagant expenses is abhorrent, and anyone who participated in this scheme must be held accountable."

Fox News Digital's Brenna Deppisch and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.