Federal Court Temporarily Freezes Parts of Trump Administration’s DEI Executive Order

On March 27, 2025, a federal court in Chicago ordered the U.S. Department of Labor to temporarily stop enforcing the provision of a Trump administration January 20 executive order that requires federal grantees and contractors to certify under threat of False Claims Act liability that they do not operate DEI programs that violate federal anti-discrimination laws.

The court order does not apply to any other federal agencies, so pursuant to this order agencies other than the Department of Labor may still require contractors or grantees to make such a certification.

We continue to closely monitor the Trump administration’s actions regarding DEI and the ongoing legal challenges and promise to keep you updated of significant developments.  (Our most recent update on the DEI-related executive orders may be accessed here.)

In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact one of the authors if you have any questions.