As President Donald Trump continues to hit the ground running by implementing his conservative agenda, the latest target of the president’s executive actions are the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts conducted throughout the federal government. Trump has ordered all employees of federal DEI efforts to be placed on leave, with plans to lay them off permanently.

DEI programs shut down, employees placed on leave before being laid off

In a memo from the Office of Personnel Management, all federal agencies have been ordered to close their DEI offices and programs and to place all employees of these programs on administrative leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday. The agencies are also instructed to shut down any website and social media pages relating to their DEI programs and cancel all training and programming from those offices. The memo also states that all affected agencies must soon submit a “reduction-in-force” plan to eliminate these positions permanently.

How many employees will be impacted?

This action comes after Trump signed an executive order on Monday “ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing.” It is currently unclear how many employees will be impacted by these orders or how long it will take to lay off these employees.

Trump rolls back DEI and affirmative action

Monday’s executive order was one of dozens issued by Trump to put in place right-wing policies and roll back the efforts of previous administrations. Another order signed by Trump retracted a 1965 executive order by President Lyndon B. Johnson that banned discrimination and implemented affirmative action for federal contractors. Trump’s orders also target private companies and other institutions, tasking federal agencies “to enforce our longstanding civil-rights laws and to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs” and calling on federal agencies to compile lists of institutions such as companies and universities that are implementing DEI programs to take legal action against them potentially.

The conservative war against DEI picks up pace

DEI programs, which were rapidly expanded in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests in 2020, have been key targets for conservatives. Republican-led states like Florida and Texas have banned or significantly rolled back DEI efforts. Several private corporations, such as Facebook’s parent company, Meta, have announced closing or scaling back their DEI programs. Nevertheless, some companies and universities have pledged to continue their DEI efforts, and various politicians, activists and organizations have mobilized to defend these programs in the face of such hostility.

In the new president’s first days in office, the Trump administration has inflicted the most considerable blow to DEI programs. The fight to protect and defend DEI efforts is much more difficult now that Republicans control the federal government and a hostile president is in the White House.

Donald trump