Executive Orders Targeting DEI and Diversity Programs Signed Amid Ongoing Resistance

On his first day back in office, President Trump signed executive orders terminating federal DEI programs, ordering the closure of federal DEI offices, and directing agencies to investigate private-sector DEI programs. Federal contractors were ordered to certify they do not maintain DEI programs. NIH paused diversity supplements and grants. Federal employees in DEI roles were placed on administrative leave. LGBTQ+ protections in federal workplaces were eliminated. The orders represented the most sweeping federal rollback of diversity infrastructure since the Civil Rights era, affecting federal employment and federal contractor hiring practices directly impacting millions of Black workers.