CNN
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Employees in the federal government’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility will be placed on paid administrative leave “effective immediately,” according to a post from White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt.
The cuts to federal DEI jobs are one of a series of actions the new administration has taken after President Donald Trump waged war against such programs and vowed to tackle the practice from day one. President Trump has already made cuts to prominent military and civil servants. Ended the use of DEI in employment and federal contracting. Some major companies have taken similar steps in the face of pressure from conservative critics and customers.
A memo issued Tuesday by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management states that DEI employees will be placed on administrative leave effective immediately as the agency takes steps to close/terminate all operations. Government agencies are directed to notify the government by 2020. DEIA Initiatives, Offices, and Programs. ”
The memo also directs agencies to delete the office’s website and social media accounts and discontinue DEI-related training.
CBS News first reported the memo.
The move comes just one day after President Trump signed an executive order banning DEI programs. In a briefing with reporters Monday, officials said the executive order “dismantles DEI bureaucracy, including environmental justice programs, equity-related grants, equity action plans, and equity initiatives.” I promised.
The White House also released a fact sheet on Tuesday about an order that halts the use of DEI in federal contracts and directs federal agencies to “relentlessly combat discrimination in the private sector.”
The order directs the Office of Management and Budget to “streamline the federal contracting process to increase speed and efficiency and reduce costs, and to require federal contractors and subcontractors to comply with civil rights laws.” “Prohibits the activities of the Office of Contract Compliance Programs.” It requires contractors to balance their workforce based on race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and religion, according to the fact sheet.
President Joe Biden signed a number of executive orders that expand DEI protections in government workplaces, targeting a broader range of Americans, from pregnant women and military spouses to rural communities and caregivers.
Critics argue that DEI programs are discriminatory and seek to solve racism by disadvantaging other groups, especially white Americans. But advocates and industry experts say the decades-old practice is politicized and widely misunderstood.
Why Musk and Ramaswamy face the challenge of purging DEI initiatives
These programs are also the target of a new Office of Government Efficiency, which President Trump has named tech billionaire Elon Musk to lead.
Examples of programs involving DEI at major federal agencies include the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and the Department of Defense’s Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Policy.
CNN previously analyzed budget proposals for 20 federal agencies. While each mentioned diversity initiatives in their fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 budget requests, not all explicitly detailed DEI spending.
Some federal departments, like DOD and HHS, have entire offices dedicated to DEI. We also have cross-sector programs that provide funding for minority-owned business development, diversity hiring and training initiatives, and more.
The Trump administration’s attacks on DEI are likely to face legal challenges. CNN has previously reported that hundreds of civil rights and advocacy groups are preparing for numerous legal battles that will arise from Republican DEI repeal efforts, and the American Civil Liberties Union told CNN last month that The president-elect said he is carefully reviewing all public statements from DOGE. Trump administration and campaign comments.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Jack Forrest, Rene Marsh and Pamela Brown contributed to this report.
