Judge Blocks Enforcement of Key Provisions in Trump’s DEI Executive Orders

Federal judge rules that Labor Department cannot enforce anti-DEI certification requirement while lawsuit proceeds.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Labor Department from enforcing portions of President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs among federal grantees. The March 27 ruling by Judge Matthew Kennelly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois prevents the department from requiring organizations like Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) to certify that they do not operate DEI programs, as mandated under Trump’s Executive Order 14173.

In his order, Kennelly wrote that the certification requirement contained in the executive order was “broad” and “vague,” offering no definition of DEI or clarity on what constitutes an illegal DEI program under federal law. He said this ambiguity is “likely to result in self-censorship” among grantees and noted that CWIT had shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its lawsuit, which challenges the orders as unconstitutional.

CWIT, a nonprofit advocating for women in skilled trades since 1981, sued the Labor Department in February, asserting that the executive orders issued by President Trump—14151 and 14173—threaten the organization’s federally funded work, of which approximately 70 percent of participants are Black or Latina. The organization claimed the rules jeopardized five different Department of Labor programs it participates in and had already caused the loss of a subcontract.

The temporary injunction blocks the Labor Department from halting CWIT’s grants or pursuing penalties under the False Claims Act for noncompliance with the orders. Judge Kennelly scheduled a hearing on April 10 to consider a longer-term injunction.

“The Order that contains the Certification Provision does not define the term ‘DEI’ itself,” Kennelly wrote. “It does not refer to any other source indicating what the term means as used in the Order—let alone what might make any given ‘DEI’ program violate Federal anti-discrimination laws.”

CWIT contends that the certification requirement violates the First Amendment and presents an impossible choice: continue their mission or risk legal and financial penalties. In court, the Trump administration argued that the lawsuit was speculative, but CWIT presented evidence of communications from the Labor Department requiring compliance and noted actual impacts on its contracts.

In a statement, CWIT praised the ruling as “a truly significant first step” that allows the organization to continue training women for high-wage skilled trades. “We are dedicated to our core purpose: preparing women to enter and succeed in high-wage skilled trades that enable them to put food on their tables and better quality of lives for their families,” the group said.