US President Donald Trump's administration asked federal agencies on Friday (Jan 24) to terminate roles and offices related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, after placing them on paid leave earlier this week, a memo circulated by the Office of Personnel Management showed.

Advertisment

"Each agency, department, or commission head shall take action to terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and 'environmental justice' offices and positions within 60 days," said the memo from the US Office of Personnel Management, referring to jobs aimed at boosting "diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility."

Why it matters

After taking office on Monday, the Republican leader had issued a series of executive orders seeking to dismantle DEI programmes.

Advertisment

Also read | 'Hire your own security': Donald Trump ends government protection for Anthony Fauci

DEI programmes seek to promote opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, LGBT people and other traditionally underrepresented groups. Civil rights advocates argue such programmes, generally backed by Democrats, are needed to address longstanding inequities and structural racism.

Trump and his allies say DEI programmes unfairly discriminate against other Americans and weaken the importance of candidates' merit in job hiring or promotion.

Advertisment

Trump fires first female Coast Guard chief

The US president earlier dismissed Admiral Linda Lee Fagan, the head of the US Coast Guard, citing her excessive emphasis on DEI initiatives.

Fagan, who made history as the first woman to lead a branch of the US Armed Forces, was removed from her position on Jan 21. 

Also read | ‘Racist, sexist diversity nonsense’: Trump fires first female Coast Guard chief, Admiral Linda Lee Fagan

Trump has also pressured the private sector to join his attack on DEI.

Civil rights advocates say his push marks a significant setback to decades-long efforts to ensure equality in federal hiring and contracts.

However, it was not immediately clear from the memo how many DEI staffers each federal agency has.

US administration directed all federal DEI staff to be put on leave

President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave, according to a memo from the Office of Personnel Management.

The memo follows an executive order Trump signed on his first day ordering a sweeping dismantling of the federal government's diversity and inclusion programmes that could touch on everything from anti-bias training to funding for minority farmers and homeowners.

(With inputs from agencies)