President Donald Trump has mandated that all federal employees involved in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives be placed on immediate paid administrative leave.
On Tuesday, the White House announced that these workers had to be removed from their roles by 5 pm. EST (10 p.m. GMT) the following day. Shortly after, their respective offices and programs are scheduled for closure.
In an executive order issued the same day, Trump denounced the programs, describing them as “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral.”
The total number of federal workers impacted by the directive remains unclear, according to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents approximately 800,000 federal employees.
Since taking office, President Trump has acted decisively to implement his campaign pledges, utilizing a series of unilateral measures. One such promise included his aim to dismantle DEI initiatives. During his inaugural address, he committed to creating a “color-blind and merit-based society.”
An earlier executive order, signed before Tuesday’s directive, decreed that all DEI offices, roles, and initiatives be terminated within 60 days. DEI programs are designed to foster workplace participation among individuals from diverse backgrounds. Proponents argue that such initiatives address historical inequities and discrimination against marginalized groups, including racial minorities. Critics, however, contend that these programs can perpetuate reverse discrimination.
A memo from the US Office of Personnel Management, distributed to federal agencies on Tuesday, instructed agency leaders to place DEI personnel on administrative leave. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the authenticity of the memo, which also demanded agencies submit a “written plan” for implementing DEI-related layoffs by the end of the month.
Trump’s executive order further criticized DEI and DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility) policies, labeling them as “illegal” and inconsistent with US laws. The order claimed such policies could undermine fundamental civil rights protections against discrimination.
The directive emphasised federal hiring, promotions, and performance evaluations should reward “individual initiative” rather than focus on “DEI-related factors.” Additionally, it tasked the US attorney general with presenting recommendations within 120 days to encourage private sector businesses to abandon similar diversity efforts.
One controversial component of the order revoked an executive order from the civil rights era, originally signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which prohibited federal contractors from discriminating based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin. Subsequent amendments had expanded these protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
Alvin Tillery, a political scientist and co-founder of the 2040 Strategy Group, which specializes in DEI training for private companies, warned of the potential ramifications of revoking these protections.
“A company that only employs white workers and refuses to hire Black people, Latinos, or women could theoretically pursue a federal contract without needing to demonstrate compliance with diversity standards,” he explained.
He also suggested the move might undermine training programs that address discrimination or foster positive workplace behaviour.
Les Alderman, a civil rights attorney based in Washington, DC, expressed concern over the broader implications of this shift. “People are going to lack awareness of what discrimination looks like,” he said. “Even well-meaning individuals will make mistakes, and those mistakes will have consequences.”
Unions representing federal employees have strongly opposed Trump’s executive orders. The AFGE argued that DEI programs had contributed to narrowing gender and racial pay gaps within the federal workforce. The union also expressed fears that Trump’s order could politicize federal employment practices, turning hiring and firing decisions into “loyalty tests.” National Federation of Federal Workers President Randy Erwin condemned the directive, stating it was “designed to intimidate and target non-partisan civil servants.”
Conservatives, however, praised Trump’s actions. “This is a significant milestone in advancing civil rights in America and a vital step towards building a colourblind society,” said Yukong Mike Zhao, president of the Asian American Coalition for Education, in a statement to the New York Times. “Affirmative action and so-called woke DEI programs are racism masquerading as progress,” Zhao added.
Recently, several prominent US corporations, including McDonald’s, Walmart, and Meta (the parent company of Facebook), have reduced or ended their DEI initiatives. Others, such as Apple, Target, and Costco, have openly defended their diversity efforts.
While acknowledging shortcomings in the DEI initiatives under the previous Biden administration, Tillery highlighted their positive intent. “These roles were underfunded and understaffed, with people doing incredible work despite minimal resources,” he said. “Now, we’re heading to zero.”
(BBC)
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