Federal agencies must shutter their diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and place DEI staff on paid leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday ahead of layoffs, the Trump administration announced in a memorandum.
The Office of Personnel Management instructed agencies to take down all DEI-related websites and social media accounts by the deadline. By noon Thursday, agencies must report on steps taken to implement the order, including a list of all DEI offices and employees as of Election Day. A written plan detailing the “reduction-in-force action” for DEI staffers is due 5 p.m. Friday, according to the memorandum.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day to dismantle all DEI programs within the federal government, calling the Biden administration’s DEI initiatives “illegal and immoral discrimination programs.” On Tuesday, Trump issued two more executive actions targeting DEI: one banning race- and sex-based preferences in the workplace and higher education, and another rescinding a Biden-era policy that prioritized DEI hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration.
“President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
“This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept,” Leavitt added.
Trump also signed an executive order on day one making it “the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female.”
Several major companies have rolled back their DEI initiatives since Trump’s election victory in November. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced earlier this month it is cutting DEI programs for hiring, training, and supplier selection. McDonald’s has said it is revising its DEI policies, while Walmart has scrapped DEI training for employees and stopped considering race and gender when choosing suppliers.
