What Clients Should Know About President Trump’s Anti-DEI and Affirmative Action Executive Order and Its Potential Effects on Government Contractors, Grant Recipients, Nonprofits, and Private Sector Employers
By: Christopher Tillery, Mirjana Gacanich, and Colby Stone
On January 21, 2025, President Trump signed a wide-ranging Executive Order entitled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” (the “Order”) that seeks to eliminate “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (“DEI”) and affirmative action programming and preferences in both the federal government and private sector. In doing so, the Order impacts not only government agencies and their polices, but also revokes multiple executive orders issued by prior administrations directly applicable to federal contractors and entities receiving federal grants, such as nonprofit organizations.
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