Judge pauses sweeping Trump orders rolling back diversity programs, warning of threat of ‘pernicious’ enforcement

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Trump administration’s sweeping executive orders seeking to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government and private sector have temporarily been put on hold, after a federal judge in Maryland issued a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit from civic and educational groups challenging the policies. open image in gallery Trump executive orders eliminated DEI spending inside of government and sought to pressure private companies to cease such programs, too “Our Constitution protects all Americans – whether you are a university professor or a restaurant worker – from unlawful intrusion on speech, ideas, and expression and entitles all Americans to fair process,” CEO Skye Perryman said in a statement, adding, “As our complaint states, in the United States, there is no King.” The Independent has contacted the White House for comment. That order also required federal contracts to have a clause ensuring those getting government funds didn’t operate programs “promoting DEI.” A second order at issue, signed a day later, directed federal officials to draw up enforcement plans on how they’d “deter DEI programs or principles” in and outside the government, including by launching investigations into companies and educational institutions. open image in gallery Companies like Meta have rolled back DEI programs amid larger backlash to concept While the injunction may pause the executive orders, they’ve already had massive impacts across the federal government, ranging from millions of dollars of contracts and grants being canceled, to federal DEI workers being fired.