A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive orders eliminating DEI.

As AFROTECH™ previously told you, soon after Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20, he signed executive orders to halt diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts at the federal level. This led to federal employees in DEI roles being placed on paid leave, a mandate banning DEI considerations in federal contracting, and more recently, a two-week deadline from the Department of Education requesting that schools and universities end their DEI policies. A memo stated, “…educational institutions may neither separate nor segregate students based on race, nor distribute benefits or burdens based on race,” per AP News.

Changes in the DEI landscape have also impacted funding for minority businesses, with legal action being taken against those directing support to these businesses. This includes the venture capital firm Fearless Fund and fintech platform Hello Alice. Hello Alice was victorious in a class-action lawsuit filed against it for helping to award $25,000 grants to 10 Black-owned businesses, but the outcome was different for Fearless Fund. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, it was required to shut down its Strivers Grant program, which awarded $20,000 grants to Black women-owned businesses, after being in litigation with Edward Blum and his American Alliance for Equal Rights group.

The agenda of these conservative groups has also influenced major institutions, including banking giants such as Citigroup and Morgan Stanley. In retail, companies such as Target and Walmart have responded similarly, while in the tech sector, Meta and Amazon have also followed suit.

There has been a trickle-down effect prompted by the federal government’s sweeping policy changes. However, Trump’s actions against DEI have been blocked by U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Baltimore, MD, who issued an injunction that won’t allow the president to terminate federal contracts upholding DEI efforts, according to AP News. The judge also stated that Trump’s executive orders are not constitutional because they encroach on rights including free speech.

“The harm arises from the issuance of it as a public, vague, threatening executive order,” stated Judge Abelson, who was nominated under former President Joe Biden.

Following Trump’s executive orders, the administration had been sued, with plaintiffs including the City of Baltimore, National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors, and the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United.

“Ordinary citizens bear the brunt,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys wrote, per AP News. “Plaintiffs and their members receive federal funds to support educators, academics, students, workers, and communities across the country. As federal agencies make arbitrary decisions about whether grants are ‘equity-related,’ Plaintiffs are left in limbo.”

Judge Abelson did grant the attorney general permission to investigate DEI practices in alignment with one of Trump’s executive orders. However, the enforcement is still blocked.