By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order late on Tuesday that directed government agency heads to implement diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) measures in federal agencies, federal contractors and the private sector, the White House said.
Here are some key commands from the command:
EXECUTES THE PREVIOUS STEPS
The order calls for “ending illegal discrimination in the federal government.”
Repeals policies dating back to 1965 on equal employment opportunities, environmental practices designed to protect communities of color, and efforts to “organize labor” by union contractors based on race, gender, and religion.
Human rights and diversity advocates have argued that such policies are necessary to address long-term inequality.
PRIVATE SECTOR 'ENCOURAGED' TO END DEI
In one section, the order encourages the private sector to “eliminate DEI's unlawful discrimination and preferences.” It added that “the heads of all the agencies, with the help of the Attorney General, will take all the necessary steps regarding the operation of their agencies to advance in the private sector the policy of each step, excellence, and hard work.”
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL ACCESSED THE REPORT
The order asks the US attorney general to meet with government agencies and submit within 120 days a report “containing recommendations to enforce human rights laws and to take other appropriate steps to encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI .”
The report will list the most “brutal and discriminatory DEI employees” in each area of concern and specify measures to prevent DEI programs or policies that constitute “unlawful discrimination,” the order said.
As part of the plan, each agency will be required to identify up to nine “potential public compliance investigations of publicly traded companies, large nonprofit corporations or organizations, foundations with assets of $500 million or more, state and local bar and medical associations, and institutions in higher education has a net worth of over $1 billion.
The order does not specify possible administrative actions or penalties.
EDUCATION REPORT
The order states that within 120 days from Tuesday, the attorney general and the secretary of education will jointly issue guidance to all educational agencies that receive federal funds regarding compliance with the 2023 ruling in which the US Supreme Court rejected affirmative action for university admissions.