The Trump Administration is investing in a US-based lithium-ion battery supply chain and recycling capacity, including banning the export of lithium-ion battery waste. There are concerns about the US's capacity to recycle these waste batteries and the impact if they are not recycled. Research explores the recycling capacity in North America and the importance of expanding it for the transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy. Various processes are involved in recycling lithium-ion batteries, with shredding being preferred over smelting due to lower energy consumption and emissions. The article suggests that to effectively create a domestic recycling industry for lithium-ion battery minerals, policies should require batteries to be recycled, implement extended producer responsibility, and ensure high recovery rates of critical minerals from black mass.