One of the frequent applause lines at Donald Trump rallies this year has been his promise to do away with “every diversity, equity and inclusion program across the entire federal government.”
This week, Trump doubled down on that promise while outlining his plans for his second term, which include directing the Department of Justice to target DEI and pursue federal civil rights cases against schools that continue to engage in racial discrimination and schools that persist in explicit unlawful discrimination under the guise of equity.”
In post on Donald Trump.com, President-elect Donald Trump vowed to eliminate DEI standards from accredited universities and compensate individuals harmed by DEI policies.
Said Trump, “I will direct the Department of Justice to pursue federal civil rights cases against schools that continue to engage in racial discrimination. And schools that persist in explicit unlawful discrimination under the guise of equity will not only have their endowment taxed, but through budget reconciliation, I will advance a measure to have them fined up to the entire amount of their endowment.
“A portion of the seized funds will then be used as restitution for victims of these illegal and unjust policies, policies that hurt our country so badly. Colleges have gotten hundreds of billions of dollars from hard-working taxpayers and now we are going to get this anti-American insanity out of our institutions once and for all.”
The ACLU had cautioned that a second Trump administration “would also target local and state government, as well as private sector efforts, to remedy historical discrimination and ongoing inequality. It would also scale up “reverse discrimination” cases to further chill public and private institutions’ efforts to expand access to Black, Latine, Indigenous, and other people of color. Such efforts would build on current attacks from the private bar, including challenging school desegregation efforts and grant, scholarship, and fellowship programs intended to open access to career fields.”
Since 2023, state lawmakers have introduced over 80 anti-DEI bills aimed at dismantling minority-and women-owned business diversity programs; prohibiting certain discrimination and anti-bias training for employees, school staff, and students; prohibit programs to attract a diverse pool of employees, faculty, and students; precluding student scholarships, grants, or financial aid based upon sex, race, and national origin; and/or eliminating DEI programs on college campuses that aim to create inclusive and supportive environments for all students.
Nevertheless, governors and mayors could continue advancing civil rights protections in the public sector by issuing executive orders to create and expand state and locally funded DEI programs. Additionally, state legislators and city council members should counteract attacks on DEI by voting against proposals to restrict DEI program funding, holding hearings on the impacts of dismantling these programs, and proposing bills that advance DEI objectives.