Trump's 'anti-diversity' executive order dealt a blow in court

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump's far-reaching order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, programs in the government, reported The Associated Press on Friday.

This marks the latest in a series of court actions blocking Trump's massive array of start-of-term executive orders.

"Trump signed an order his first day in office directing federal agencies to terminate all 'equity-related' grants or contracts. He signed a follow-up order requiring federal contractors to certify that they don’t promote DEI," said the report.

However, "the plaintiffs — including the city of Baltimore and higher education groups — sued the Trump administration earlier this month, arguing the executive orders are unconstitutional and a blatant overreach of presidential authority. They also allege the directives have a chilling effect on free speech."

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Judge Adam Abelson, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, agreed that the order likely violates freedom of speech, and issued an order preventing the government from enforcing the order while the litigation continues.

Trump's order had been so broadly written that the Defense Intelligence Agency even advised its staff not to publicly recognize Martin Luther King Day, Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Black History Month, and removed several non-white history pieces from the agency museum.