What Does DEI Stand for in Government? Breaking Down the Meaning

Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump is taking significant steps to eliminate DEI programs at the federal level.

A memo from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, issued Tuesday evening, instructed that all federal DEI employees be placed on leave by Wednesday night.

Learn more below.

What Does DEI Mean?

The term “DEI” stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, while “DEIA” adds Accessibility. Under the Joe Biden administration, executive orders were signed to expand federal workplace protections, covering groups such as pregnant workers, military spouses, caregivers, and others.

What DEI Programs Exist in the U.S.?

Former President Biden made significant efforts to incorporate diversity and inclusion practices within the federal workforce, the nation’s largest at approximately 2.4 million employees. These programs included “environmental justice initiatives” and various “equity initiatives.” However, the origins of DEI programs trace back to the Civil Rights Movement.

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 800,000 federal workers, argued that diversity programs helped reduce gender and racial pay gaps in the federal sector.

The Biden administration also established a Chief Diversity Officers Council to oversee the DEI plan’s implementation. In 2022, the government released its first DEI progress report, revealing that the federal workforce is about 60% white and 55% male overall, with senior executives being more than 75% white and over 60% male.

What Is Trump’s Executive Order on Federal DEI Employees?

President Trump’s executive order mandates that federal hiring, promotions, and performance reviews focus on “individual initiative” rather than “DEI-related factors.” Trump and other critics have consistently argued that federal DEI programs discriminate against certain groups, including white Americans.

The executive order, posted by the White House, describes DEI programs as “illegal and immoral discrimination,” claiming that these “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives have been imposed across nearly every aspect of the federal government.

OBTAINED FIRST BY @cbsnews’ @kristincbrown: All federal employees in DEI roles have to be placed on paid leave by 5pm Wednesday as those offices and programs are being ordered shut down, according to @USOPM memo. pic.twitter.com/PhTn4QrQqB

— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) January 22, 2025

Tuesday’s order also extends beyond federal agencies, instructing the attorney general to submit, within 120 days, “recommendations for enforcing federal civil rights laws” and to take measures to discourage the private sector from engaging in illegal discrimination or DEI practices. Trump is further directing the attorney general to develop a plan to prevent the private sector from adopting or continuing DEI programs.

How Many DEI Federal Employees Are There?

According to multiple outlets, including BBC, it’s unclear how many federal employees will be impacted by Trump’s DEI executive order.

Under the new order, federal agencies must compile a list of all DEI offices and their staff by Thursday, January 23. By next Friday, January 31, agencies are required to submit a “written plan” to begin layoffs of DEI program employees. According to a sample letter drafted by the OPM, agencies will also include a note to employees that their programs “divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.”

The U.S. government offers more than 2,000 federal assistance programs to the public, according to Government Book Talk.