(WDNews) — President Trump’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has ordered all federal agencies and departments to close their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices within 60 days. This directive, issued through a memo on Friday, applies to DEI-related offices and positions, including those focused on “environmental justice.”
According to the memo, agency leaders must take immediate steps to comply, including placing DEI employees on paid leave. By Jan. 31, agencies are required to submit reports detailing how they are meeting these demands. Additionally, the memo encouraged agencies to start issuing layoff notices to DEI employees as soon as possible.
This action follows an executive order signed by Trump earlier in the week, called “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell explained that the order is part of an effort to centralize policies and enforce the president’s return-to-office plan.
“The [presidential memorandum] reflects a simple reality. The only way to get employees back to the office is to adopt a centralized policy requiring return-to-work for all agencies across the federal government,” Ezell stated in a memo issued Wednesday.
The OPM also directed agencies to ensure that employees affected by these changes are classified based on their DEI roles, emphasizing that offices must strictly follow the new guidelines. Agencies now have 30 days to implement the return-to-office mandate and begin eliminating DEI positions.
