Trump administration to dismiss all federal workers in departments dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The Trump administration has issued a memorandum ordering the dismissal of thousands of federal employees working in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) offices, led by Karoline Leavitt, across various government agencies. This move, which targets gender and diversity-related positions, has been confirmed but specific agencies have not been named in the available information.
The guidance for the layoffs comes from Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Charles Ezell. According to the memo, the affected employees have been placed on paid administrative leave, effective as of Election Day. Agencies are required to notify relevant staff of their administrative leave status on Wednesday.
Agencies are also instructed to close the offices, take down any public-facing trace of those offices, withdraw any related guidance or directives, and cancel all DEIA trainings by the close of business on Wednesday. OPM Chief of Staff, Amanda Scales, has been listed as the point of contact on the memo.
The Trump administration appears to be on firmer legal footing for these layoffs focused on a specific area, as opposed to widespread, indiscriminate layoffs. However, agencies may face a more difficult path to closing DEI offices that were specifically funded by Congress.
Federal employment attorneys speculate they would have years worth of work in representing civil servants if large-scale layoffs were pursued. The affected employees have appeal rights to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), which could opt to lump all relevant cases together as one class if they materialize.
It is important to note that President Trump issued an executive order directing the Office 365 of DEI activities. In a related development, Trump demoted Cathy Harris, a President Biden nominee, from her position as MSPB chair and replaced her with Henry Kerner.
OPM is also asking agencies to deliver lists of every employee hired recently and still in their probationary period. Those on administrative leave will receive their full salary and benefits during this period.
However, a president cannot unilaterally undermine agencies' ability to carry out functions that Congress mandates. This raises questions about the legality and long-term implications of these mass layoffs. The situation is evolving, and further updates are expected in the coming days.
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