Trump memo asks recipients of federal funds to ban DEI programs

Recipients range from schools and colleges to nonprofit organizations and private firms that are government contractors.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department issued a memo on Wednesday that asked recipients of federal funds to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which President Donald Trump has aimed to dismantle since taking office in January.

Trump has passed executive orders aimed at restricting DEI but Wednesday’s memo laid out specific examples of actions that it said federal fund recipients should restrict — such as some training sessions and policies aimed at protected groups. It also said federal funds should not be used to support third parties that engage in DEI.

Recipients of federal funds range from schools, colleges and universities to nonprofit organizations and private firms that are government contractors. The memo was released publicly by the Justice Department.

In an example to support one of its recommendations, the memo said that “a scholarship program must not target ‘underserved geographic areas’ or ‘first-generation students’ if the criteria are chosen to increase participation by specific racial or sex-based groups.”

It added: “Instead, use universally applicable criteria, such as academic merit or financial hardship, applied without regard to protected characteristics or demographic goals.”