President Donald Trump has ordered all federal employees working in diversity, equity and inclusion roles to be placed on paid leave starting Wednesday. Trump in his inauguration speech said the move to terminate DEI programs within the federal government ends efforts to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.” “President Trump campaigned on a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin,” said Karoline Leavitt, the president’s press secretary. Conservatives have long condemned DEI programs, arguing they violate the Constitution by using preferences based on race, gender and sexual orientation. Trump Administration Jan 21 Trump's executive orders halt DEI programs, recognize only two biological sexes news Jan 10 Amazon to halt some of its DEI programs: Internal memo news Jan 10 Meta announces end of DEI programs. Read the internal memo The Urban League for decades has been working to improve the economic and social conditions of Black Americans. The agency’s leaders are calling the president’s executive order a step backward. “This is a state of emergency for our communities,” National Urban League President Marc Morial said. “The executive orders coming from the White House are a shot across the bow. What they really seek to do is erase 70 years of civil rights progress we have had in this nation.” It is not yet known how many federal employees will be impacted by the executive orders. The purpose of the DEI plans was to foster equitable environments in businesses and schools, especially for historically marginalized communities. While researchers say that DEI initiatives stem back to the 1960s, more were launched and expanded in 2020 during increased calls for racial justice. Businesses, including Walmart, McDonalds, and Meta, have already rolled back their diversity policies since the 2024 election.