President Donald Trump moved swiftly to end federal diversity programs, ordering all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) staff to be placed on immediate administrative leave.
A memo from the Office of Personnel Management told agency heads to suspend DEI officials by 5 pm on Wednesday and plan for permanent staff reductions by January 31.
The directive also mandated the removal of all DEI-related materials and initiatives from federal agencies.
According to the memo, department leaders must question employees about potential hidden diversity programs that might use "coded or imprecise language."
The changes follow Trump's Day One executive order targeting federal DEI initiatives.
Trump's order also encouraged private companies to "end illegal DEI discrimination" and comply with civil rights laws.
Several major corporations, including Meta and McDonald's, had already scaled back their DEI programs.
In the executive order, Trump characterized DEI policies as "corrosive" and "pernicious," arguing they undermine American values of individual achievement and merit-based advancement.
The order specifically targets programs focused on "diversity," "equity," and "equitable decision-making."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the changes, stating they aligned with Trump's campaign promises.
"This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds," said Leavitt.
"Promises made, promises kept."
The directive represents a significant departure from former President Joe Biden's approach, which had emphasized racial equity across federal policymaking.
In Trump's inaugural address, he pledged to create "a society that is colorblind and merit-based" and eliminate what he termed "radical" policy and "wasteful" spending on DEI initiatives.
Federal contractors and subcontractors must also comply with the new regulations.