A preliminary injunction will keep affected staff on administrative leave amid legal battle over President Trump’s DEI rollback.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, issued a partial preliminary injunction on March 31 blocking the Trump administration from removing a group of intelligence community employees who were targeted by an executive order dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga ruled that the employees must remain on administrative leave while the case proceeds, citing the threat of “irreparable harm” if the order were not granted. The ruling comes after the administration offered the affected personnel multiple resignation options in the wake of President Donald Trump’s January 21 executive order aimed at ending DEI and accessibility initiatives in the federal government.
Kevin Carroll, legal counsel for the employees, argued in court that the administration had defamed the intelligence staffers by implying they were involved in unlawful activity through their participation in DEI programs.
According to court filings, the executive order described DEI policies as “illegal” and claimed they violated the spirit of long-standing federal civil rights laws. The filing in support of the preliminary injunction highlighted language from the order that read, “illegal DEI and [diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility] policies not only violate the text and spirit of our longstanding federal civil rights laws, they also undermine our national unity, as they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system.”
The case is one of several legal challenges emerging since the Trump administration launched an aggressive campaign to dismantle federal DEI infrastructure. The administration has moved to shutter agency-level DEI offices, terminate staff associated with such initiatives, and revoke funding for related programs across federal departments.
While the court did not reinstate the employees to active duty, the judge’s order prevents the administration from finalizing their termination or compelling their resignation during the ongoing litigation. A final ruling on the merits of the case has not yet been scheduled.
The plaintiffs’ legal team is expected to pursue additional legal remedies, while the Trump administration has not yet commented on whether it plans to appeal the injunction.
Leave a Comment