Trump ends federal DEI offices, as conservative groups target GS, JPM
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: The Trump administration ordered the closure of federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices, requiring employees in these roles to be placed on paid administrative leave by 5:00pm Wednesday (9:00am Thursday).
Agencies must dismantle DEI programs, remove related online content and submit staff reduction plans by 31 January, according to a memo from the Office of Personnel Management cited by NBC.
Federal contractors are discouraged from hiring underrepresented groups, with government agencies tasked to identify private companies for potential civil compliance investigations, according to a presidential memorandum.
Affected DEI programs include initiatives by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with Trump ordering a safety review and removal of unqualified employees.
The directive follows President Trump’s executive order to end DEI initiatives, described by the administration as “radical and wasteful,” and to promote a “merit-based society.”
Concurrently, right-leaning activist groups are pushing corporations like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase to scale back DEI initiatives, including hiring targets and racial-discrimination audits, citing risks of costly legal challenges.
Bank of America and Citigroup also have received shareholder proposals from right-leaning groups, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The context: The rollback of DEI initiatives in the US federal government and corporate spaces comes amid a broader cultural and political backlash from conservative groups against perceived "woke" policies.
It follows the Supreme Court's 2023 decision declaring race-based affirmative action in college admissions unconstitutional, further emboldening critics of DEI initiatives.
Meanwhile, federal employees are also facing reduced job protections, a hiring freeze and mandated office returns under Trump’s executive orders, prompting unions to file lawsuits and decry these measures as undermining stability, merit-based service and due-process rights.
The sources: Trump administration memo, Trump administration memo, Wall Street Journal , New York Times , NBC
