Trump Orders Agencies to Eliminate DEI Programs, Prompting Union Backlash

The Trump administration has taken a significant step toward fulfilling the president’s campaign promise to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government. A memo distributed late Friday night ordered federal agencies to terminate DEI-related roles and programs within 60 days, as reported by Axios.

The memo directed agency heads to take immediate action, stating, “[E]ach 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 sixty days.”

The directive updated an earlier memo that had initially set a deadline for the end of the month, instead instructing agencies to issue layoff notices immediately. This aggressive move has drawn sharp criticism from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, which condemned the administration’s actions in a statement earlier this week.

“Ultimately, these attacks on DEIA are just a smokescreen for firing civil servants, undermining the apolitical civil service, and turning the federal government into an army of yes-men loyal only to the president, not the Constitution,” the union asserted.

The memo is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to eliminate diversity-focused initiatives in federal workplaces. Earlier in the week, federal employees were warned of “adverse consequences” if they failed to report colleagues who resisted dismantling DEI programs.

This message was sent to tens of thousands of workers across various agencies, with a stern reminder that the administration would not tolerate attempts to “disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language.”

The crackdown on DEI roles aligns with Trump’s broader campaign rhetoric, which has framed such initiatives as divisive and counterproductive. The White House’s move is being framed by critics as an unprecedented effort to politicize the civil service and consolidate loyalty within federal agencies.

While the administration’s supporters have hailed the decision as a step toward streamlining government operations, opponents argue that it represents a dangerous attack on the principles of fairness and inclusion within federal institutions. The AFGE and other advocacy groups warn that the dismantling of DEI programs could lead to widespread demoralization among federal employees and hinder efforts to create a more equitable workplace.

As the 60-day deadline looms, the fallout from the Trump administration’s memo is likely to intensify, with union leaders, civil rights organizations, and government employees expected to push back against what they see as a politically motivated purge of federal diversity initiatives.