Trump's Crackdown On DEI: Federal Employees Urged To Expose Concealed Diversity Plans

In the latest move in its ongoing effort to curb DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives across federal agencies, the Trump administration issued a directive on Wednesday urging federal employees to inform if there is any attempt to conceal diversity programs within their departments.

The memo, which warned of "adverse consequences" for failure to comply, asks employees to report such programs within 10 days, Reuters reported.

The recent move in U.S. President Donald Trump's push against DEI came after he called on the private sector to back the initiative and announced that government employees managing these programs would be placed on paid leave.

The administration has raised concerns that some government officials may be using vague or imprecise language to disguise DEI initiatives. However, it remains unclear what specific evidence the administration has to support these claims.

"We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language," the memo stated.

The memo, sent to employees across multiple departments, was signed by various members of Trump's cabinet, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department and Acting Attorney General James McHenry at the Justice Department.

Trump Revokes Executive Order 11246

In a separate move earlier this week, President Donald Trump overturned Executive Order 11246, a policy that had been in place for more than 60 years to prevent workplace discrimination and promote affirmative action among federal contractors, reported NBC.

The order, originally signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and more. It required federal contractors to take affirmative action to ensure equal employment opportunities.

The Department of Labor was responsible for enforcing these anti-discrimination standards.

Trump's decision to revoke the order was framed as a step toward removing what he called "radical DEI preferencing" in federal contracts. In a memo, the White House argued that such policies violated the spirit of federal civil rights laws by promoting an identity-based system that undermines traditional American values like hard work, excellence, and individual achievement.

Equal Employment Opportunity Act Of 1965

The Equal Employment Opportunity Act, which was part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to address discrimination in the workplace, particularly against women, ethnic minorities, and other underrepresented groups. It banned workplace discrimination based on national origin, sex, religion, race, age, disability, and marital or familial status. This law applied to federal contractors as well.

Impact On Corporate Sector

The Trump administration's move to reverse decades of diversity policies is expected to have far-reaching effects on the corporate sector, particularly companies that rely on federal funding or hold government contracts, USA TODAY reported.

Even though, the federal government cannot directly control diversity practices in private businesses, it can influence those that work with the government.

Elon Musk, a Trump adviser and Tesla CEO, has described DEI as "just another word for racism." Musk is also leading Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency," an initiative to cut federal spending, which includes reducing DEI-related costs.

Civil Rights Leaders Warn Of Backlash

Civil rights leaders have raised concerns that the rollback could reverse the progress made in corporate diversity following George Floyd's murder in 2020, which spurred companies to focus on increasing equality in their workforces and leadership.

Civil rights advocates are calling for a "massive resistance movement," including meetings with corporate leaders, urging lawmakers to take action, and pursuing legal challenges.

Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, warned, "We are not going back. We owe it to our ancestors. We owe it to our children."

Federal Contractors And Discrimination

Federal contractors, which include companies providing everything from meals to defense systems, have long been required to follow anti-discrimination policies.

However, a recent analysis based on data from Reveal and The Center for Investigative Reporting, showed that many contractors have failed to meet these commitments. While the workforce in these companies has become more diverse, top leadership roles still show significant racial disparities, a trend seen in the broader private sector.

As the U.S. government committed $739 billion to contractors in 2023, critics argue that the removal of these anti-discrimination policies could hinder progress toward greater workplace equality.