US President Donald Trump will return to the White House on February 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump returned to the White House after spending the weekend and the first two days of the week in Florida.
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A federal judge in Maryland on Friday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's ban on diversity, equity, inclusion programs in federal agencies, and businesses that contract with the federal government.
US District Judge Adam Abelson said Trump's directive and an order urging the Justice Department to investigate companies with DEI policies are likely to violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The order is part of Trump's greater efforts to eradicate Day's initiative, which he and other critics say are discriminatory from the government and the private sector.
Abelson blocked Trump and several federal governments from implementing national orders until they put the outcome of lawsuits by the city of Baltimore and three groups.
“As the plaintiffs said, “Efforts to promote inclusion have been widespread for decades and are controversial,” Abelson wrote. “The plaintiff's irreparable harm includes the broad soothing of unquestionable, unprotected speeches.”
It will soon be how Abelson's decision will apply to actions already taken by the Trump administration, including closing DEI offices at many agencies and firing staff involved in diversity programs. was not clear.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Democracy, a left-leaning group representing the plaintiffs, welcomed the decision. President Sky Perryman said Trump's orders on Day violated the constitution and illegally invaded “on speeches, ideas and expressions.”
DEI's policy became more widespread after a nationwide protest against police killings of unarmed black people in 2020, spurring the conservative backlash that culminated in Trump's order after taking office last month. I went there.
Civil Rights and Equality Group programmes to correct discrimination in countries where women and African Americans do not achieve legal equality until the 20th century and lag behind their counterparts of white males in wages and opportunities It claims that it is necessary.
Instructing federal agencies to eliminate diversity programs, Trump has also banned federal contractors, including many of the largest companies in the United States. He then told the Department of Justice and other agencies to identify businesses, schools and nonprofits that may be illegally discriminating through DEI policies.
The group that accused Baltimore claimed that Trump lacked the authority to issue orders and inappropriately targeted constitutionally protected freedom of speech.
The Trump administration has rebutted that the order does not ban or block speech, but targets illegal discrimination.
Abelson on Friday said that the order, and the definition of Day, is so vague that it is impossible for plaintiffs to decide how Trump's instructions will apply to their programs.
“The plaintiffs should adequately say that their speeches continue to be cooled in light of challenged orders based on actions currently being taken by the defendants and the plaintiff's reasonable fears. It shows,” wrote Abelson, former Democratic presidential appointee of President Joe. Biden.