Trump Closes Federal DEI Offices, Places Staff on Leave, Revokes 1965 Affirmative Action Order

Jan 22, 2025, 02:26 PM

President Donald Trump's administration has ordered the immediate closure of all federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices, directing that employees in these roles be placed on paid administrative leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday and that DEI-related webpages be taken down. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the action. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Charles Ezell sent a memorandum to federal agency heads instructing them to dismantle DEI programs and inform affected employees of their status. Additionally, Trump revoked Executive Order 11246, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, which established affirmative action policies and prohibited discrimination in federal contracting based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The move, occurring on Trump's second day in office, is part of a broader initiative by the administration to eliminate DEI programs within federal agencies and discourage similar practices in the private sector.