Maryland: U.S. federal agencies are disregarding a court order that blocked President Donald Trump’s ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs for businesses and organizations contracting with the federal government, according to a legal filing submitted on Thursday.
In the filing, advocacy groups and the city of Baltimore informed U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Maryland that federal agencies continue to pressure contractors into signing agreements with anti-DEI provisions. This is despite the judge’s ruling last month, which explicitly barred enforcement of the policy while legal proceedings continue.
The groups stated that contractors’ concerns were reinforced by a report published on Wednesday by Rolling Stone magazine. The report alleges that Trump administration officials are instructing staff to ignore Abelson’s order, calling it “irrelevant,” and to persist in enforcing the anti-DEI policy.
The White House and the U.S. Department of Justice have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these allegations.
Judge Abelson, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, has scheduled a telephone status conference for Friday at 3:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. GMT) to address the issue.
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The lawsuit challenging the anti-DEI policy was filed by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and the city of Baltimore. The plaintiffs argue that the policy infringes on their First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution by restricting free speech.
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Trump, a Republican, has defended his executive order by asserting that DEI initiatives promote discrimination and violate federal civil rights laws. His directive instructed federal agencies to dismantle diversity programs and prohibited federal contractors—including some of the largest U.S. companies—from implementing such initiatives. Furthermore, it mandated the U.S. Department of Justice and other agencies to investigate businesses, schools, and nonprofit organizations for potential unlawful discrimination linked to DEI policies.
