Following President Donald Trump executive order Tuesday, ordering the shutdown of federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs, a Colorado political analyst believes the battle for DEI will now shift to courtrooms alongside state and local legislatures. "At the state level, that's where we're going to see Democratic states, trying to push back on this, whether that is acting as sort of DEI policy leaders and instituting more programs... or instituting more protections for state contractors" Philip Chen, an associate professor of political science at Denver University, said.Chen argued, due to political gridlock in Congress, Democratic representatives have few options to push back against anti-DEI orders from the Trump administration. Chen said the use of executive orders by both Presidents Biden and Trump are a signal of the standstill currently taking place in the federal legislature."Legislating has shifted to the executive branch, and the executive branch can only legislate through executive orders," Chen said.The president's executive order directed all federal DEI staff be placed on paid administrative leave.Following the executive order, a memo was sent out to the Office of Personnel Management, directing agencies to place DEI employees on paid administrative leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday. The memo also ordered department heads to outline a plan to terminate the positions by the end of the month.The executive order will impact the following: Diversity hiring, training and accountability offices Federal grants and benefits Pay equity programsPresident Trump's order has encountered backlash from some economists who argue it will set back years of progress. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows how DEI initiatives have impacted unemployment rates since 2014. The trends show significant reductions in unemployment rates for minority communities, up to 8%. Additionally, white unemployment rates have also declined.The order could also lead to a complete overhaul of billions of dollars in federal spending. Trump argued that some DEI programs unfairly "give preferential treatment to racial minorities and women." The order mandates the review of federal contracts and grants that benefit the historically underserved communities.Prior to the executive order, some private companies started to end their own DEI initiatives. META, Walmart and McDonalds dropped their DEI commitments in the months leading up to the Trump administration. CO political analyst weighs in on Pres. Trump's executive order to terminate DEI