The Trump administration has directed all federal employees in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles to be placed on paid administrative leave, according to a memo issued Tuesday by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
The memo instructed federal agencies to notify DEI employees by 5 p.m. ET Wednesday about their administrative leave status as preparations begin to shut down all DEI offices and programs.
Additionally, agencies were directed to remove associated websites and social media accounts and submit plans by January 31 for terminating the affected employees.
On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to eliminate what he described as “radical and wasteful” DEI programs across federal agencies, signaling the closure of these offices.
“President Trump campaigned on eradicating DEI initiatives from the federal government to restore a merit-based system where individuals are hired for their skills, not their skin color,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “This is a victory for Americans of all backgrounds. Promises made, promises kept.”
The executive order was part of a broader series of actions signed by Trump on Monday, including measures addressing border policies and issuing pardons for January 6 Capitol rioters.
On Tuesday, Trump signed an additional executive order targeting hiring practices at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), asserting that DEI initiatives unfairly disadvantaged “hard-working Americans who lack a requisite disability or specific skin color.”
