President Donald Trump has made it clear that eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs is a top priority as he returns to the White House.
A memo from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, issued Tuesday evening, instructed that all federal DEI employees be placed on leave by Wednesday night. The memo also called for the revocation of Executive Order 11246, issued by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, which laid the foundation for workplace diversity efforts by encouraging employers to consider race, gender, and other factors in hiring to address historical inequities.
OBTAINED FIRST BY @cbsnews’ @kristincbrown: All federal employees in DEI roles have to be placed on paid leave by 5pm Wednesday as those offices and programs are being ordered shut down, according to @USOPM memo. pic.twitter.com/PhTn4QrQqB
— Ed O’Keefe (@edokeefe) January 22, 2025
Find out more below.
What Is Executive Order 11246?
Executive Order 11246, issued by former President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, is an executive order (not a law) that applies to federal contractors. It:
- Prohibits discrimination in hiring, promotion, and treatment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
- Mandates affirmative action for federal contractors to ensure equal employment opportunities, requiring them to take proactive steps to address disparities and promote diversity in the workplace.
- Created the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to monitor and enforce these requirements.
What Is President Trump’s DEI Executive Order?
President Trump’s executive order mandates that federal hiring, promotions, and performance reviews prioritize “individual initiative” over “DEI-related factors.” Trump and other critics have argued that federal DEI programs, including “environmental justice” and “equity initiatives,” discriminate against groups like white Americans.
Tuesday’s order also extends beyond federal agencies, instructing the attorney general to submit, within 120 days, “recommendations for enforcing federal civil rights laws” and to take measures to discourage the private sector from engaging in illegal discrimination or DEI practices. Trump is further directing the attorney general to develop a plan to prevent the private sector from adopting or continuing DEI programs.
How Many Federal DEI Employees Are There?
According to multiple outlets, including BBC, it’s unclear how many federal employees will be impacted by Trump’s DEI executive order.
Under the new order, federal agencies must compile a list of all DEI offices and their staff by Thursday, January 23. By next Friday, January 31, agencies are required to submit a “written plan” to begin layoffs of DEI program employees. According to a sample letter drafted by the OPM, agencies will also include a note to employees that their programs “divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.”
The U.S. government offers more than 2,000 federal assistance programs to the public, according to Government Book Talk.
