The Trump administration is expediting the termination of federal employees in diversity, equity, and inclusion roles. The Office of Personnel Management has instructed agency heads to eliminate such positions within sixty days, with layoff notices already being issued to some workers. This initiative follows Trump’s executive order to shut down what he called “radical and wasteful” DEI programs in federal agencies. Government agencies are removing mentions of diversity from their websites and dissolving DEI-focused councils, with the Department of Homeland Security and Education Department taking significant steps in this direction. The National Gallery of Art has closed its office dedicated to belonging and inclusion in response to Trump’s crackdown. Critics view these actions as an attempt to end government efforts to promote diversity and address inequities in society. Trump, however, framed these moves as an attempt to stop the government from attempting to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. The impact of these terminations on affected workers remains uncertain, as estimates of how many individuals will be affected have not been provided by the White House. The directives are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to dismantle DEI programs across federal agencies.
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