By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration asked U.S. federal agencies on Friday to terminate roles and offices related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, a memo circulated by the Office of Personnel Management showed.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
Trump, a Republican, has issued a series of executive orders seeking to dismantle DEI programs since he took office on Monday.
DEI programs seek to promote opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, LGBT people and other traditionally underrepresented groups. Civil rights advocates argue such programs, generally backed by Democrats, are needed to address longstanding inequities and structural racism.
Trump and his allies say DEI programs unfairly discriminate against other Americans and weaken the importance of candidates' merit in job hiring or promotion.
KEY QUOTE
"In accordance with that order, each agency, department, or commission head shall take action to terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and 'environmental justice' offices and positions within sixty days," the memo said.
CONTEXT
Trump has also pressured the private sector to join his attack on DEI. Civil rights advocates say his push marks a significant setback to decades-long efforts to ensure equality in federal hiring and contracts.
It was not immediately clear from the memo how many DEI staffers each federal agency has.