White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in a statement that all federal diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility office staff would be placed on paid administrative leave "effective immediately."

After Donald Trump pledged to fight against such programs and end the practice on Day 1, the new administration has taken a number of moves, including cutting workers in government DEI positions. Trump has already terminated the use of DEI in federal contracts and hiring, and he has slashed high-profile military personnel. Similar actions have been taken by some large corporations in response to pressure from conservative customers and critics.

In a memo released Tuesday, the US Office of Personnel Management directed agencies to inform DEI employees that they would be placed on administrative leave with immediate effect while "the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices, and programs" "no later than 5:00pm EST on Wednesday."

The message also instructs agencies to terminate any DEI-related trainings and delete the offices' websites and social media accounts.

The message was first reported by CBS News.

Trump's executive order prohibiting DEI programs was signed just one day prior to this action. The executive order would "dismantle the DEI bureaucracy, and this includes environmental justice programs, equity related grants, equity action plan, equity initiatives," an official promised during a press call with media on Monday.

Additionally, on Tuesday, the White House issued a fact sheet for an order that would "direct federal agencies to relentlessly combat private sector discrimination" and eliminate the use of DEI in federal procurement.

In addition to "barring the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs from pushing contractors to balance their workforce based on race, sex, gender identity, sexual preference, or religion," the fact sheet states that the order instructs the Office of Management and Budget "to streamline the federal contracting process to enhance speed and efficiency, reduce costs, and require Federal contractors and subcontractors to comply with our civil rights laws."

By signing several executive orders, President Joe Biden broadened the scope of DEI safeguards in government workplaces to cover a wider range of Americans, from caregivers and rural communities to pregnant women and military spouses.

DEI initiatives are criticized for discriminating against other groups, especially White Americans, in an effort to address racial prejudice. However, proponents and business leaders maintain that the long-standing tradition has become politicized and is generally misinterpreted.

Trump appointed tech entrepreneur Elon Musk to head his new Department of Government Efficiency, which has also targeted the programs.

The Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Policy at the Department of Defense and the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity & Inclusion at the Department of Health and Human Services are two examples of DEI initiatives in significant federal departments.

Twenty government agencies' projected budgets were previously examined by CNN. None of them specifically mentioned DEI spending, even though they all included diversity programs in their budget plans for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

Certain federal agencies, such as DOD and HHS, have entire offices devoted to DEI. Additionally, there are department-wide programs that provide funding for initiatives like training and diversity recruitment, as well as minority-owned business growth.

There will probably be legal challenges to the Trump administration's assault on DEI. The American Civil Liberties Union told CNN last month that it is closely examining all public statements made by DOGE, the incoming Trump administration, as well as remarks made during the campaign trail. CNN has previously reported that hundreds of civil rights and advocacy groups are getting ready for the numerous legal battles that would result from Republican attempts to dismantle DEI.