A federal judge on March 27 temporarily stopped the U.S. Labor Department from implementing parts of President Trump’s executive orders relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The temporary restraining order from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois concerns:
- the certification provision in E.O. 14173, which requires grant recipients to certify that they do not operate any programs promoting DEI; and
- the termination provision in E.O. 14151, which requires federal agencies to terminate equity-related grants and contracts.
The court’s TRO prohibits the Labor Department from requiring any federal contractor or grantee to make certifications about their DEI programs. The TRO also forbids DOL to terminate CWIT’s grants and enforce the False Claims Act against CWIT based on the certification requirement. However, the TRO does not prevent DOL from terminating grants to others. It also does not prevent other federal agencies from requiring their contractors and grantees to make DEI certifications. A hearing on a longer-term injunction in Chicago Women in Trades v. Trump will be held April 10.
The Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC), our affiliated nonprofit membership association, will hold a members-only roundtable on April 21 at 2:00 pm EST. CWC members can read more here.