Trump sued by diversity officers in an attempt to block anti-diversity orders

The city of Maryland and three other groups have sued US President Donald Trump and his administration to block Trump's executive orders, which are collectively the "Anti-DEIA Executive Orders" and are seeking to end diversity programmes in America.

The diverse coalition of groups includes the nation's leading academics and higher education officials, restaurant workers, and the City of Baltimore. 

The challenge was filed in federal court in Maryland and was brought by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, Maryland, represented by Democracy Forward and Asian Americans Advancing Justice. 

Recently, Trump has attempted to remove any US government support for diversity, equity, and inclusion practices within the federal government. 

The Trump administration issued executive orders two days after he took control of the White House, threatening economic sanctions and dismissals. 

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The lawsuit alleges that the orders exceeded the president's authority under the US Constitution and asks the court for preliminary and permanent injunctions to block the orders, in addition to finding them unlawful and unconstitutional.

"In the United States, there is no king," reads the lawsuit from the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors, the Restaurant Opportunities Centres United and the mayor and city council of Baltimore.

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The suit named as defendants Trump, nine government departments and their corresponding cabinet officers, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Management and Budget.

Trump has been making efforts to end programmes that help women, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ people obtain government jobs and contracts, saying such practices unfairly punish more qualified applicants. 

The civil rights and pro-equality groups argued that the programmes were necessary to remove discrimination in a country where women and African Americans did not achieve legal equality until the 20th century and continued to remain behind their white male counterparts in pay and opportunity. 

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'Trump cannot usurp Congress's exclusive power of purse'

"In his crusade to erase diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility from our country, President Trump cannot usurp Congress's exclusive power of the purse, nor can he silence those who disagree with him by threatening them with the loss of federal funds and other enforcement action," the lawsuit read. 

Trump's executive order against the diversity policies sought the widespread dismissal of federal government employees with the directive to "terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and 'environmental justice' offices and positions."

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The order targeted publicly traded corporations, large non-profit corporations, state and local bar and medical associations, foundations, and university endowments, seeking to deter them from engaging in diversity programmes.

(With inputs from agencies)