Federal appeals court says Trump can enforce DEI ban

A federal appeals court allowed the Trump administration to implement bans on diversity, equity and inclusion programs at federal agencies and businesses that contract with the federal government.

A three-judge panel on the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals said the directives by President Donald Trump, including an order urging the Department of Justice to investigate companies with DEI policies, were likely constitutional, disagreeing with a February ruling by a federal judge in Maryland.

The orders are part of Trump’s larger efforts to eradicate DEI initiatives, which he and other critics say are discriminatory, from the government and the private sector. U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Baltimore had blocked Trump and several federal agencies from implementing the orders nationwide pending the outcome of the lawsuit.

Along with directing federal agencies to eliminate diversity programs, Trump also barred federal contractors, which include many of the largest U.S. companies, from having them.

He also told the Justice Department and other agencies to identify businesses, schools and nonprofits that may be unlawfully discriminating through DEI policies. This has been part of the Trump administration’s larger efforts to eliminate race and racial quotas as a decisive factor for hiring.

At the same time, the Democratic Party is having an existential identity crisis about what it stands for, as its base is livid at what President Trump is doing. There are likely to be many court challenges that hold up actions that stop DEI, but for now, it looks like banning DEI will be allowed.