Federal Courts Block Trump-Era Anti-DEI Grant Restrictions Nationwide

A federal judge in New York has issued a preliminary injunction halting the Trump administration's mass cancellation of National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants awarded to Authors Guild members, ruling that the terminations violated the First Amendment by targeting recipients' viewpoints, particularly those related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The judge criticized the administration's use of executive orders combating 'Radical Indoctrination' and 'Radical DEI Programs,' noting that some grants were rescinded simply because they were awarded under President Biden. Similarly, a coalition of nonprofits from 14 states filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over revised grant policies requiring recipients to certify they would not promote DEI, gender ideology, or elective abortions; a Rhode Island judge granted a temporary restraining order against these policies, which HHS shortly amended to remove DEI language but left advocates wary of future changes. Additionally, internal changes at the Treasury Department reflect a rollback of protections for LGBTQ workers, with the removal of sexual orientation and gender identity from discrimination complaint forms formalizing earlier policy shifts under the Trump administration. Collectively, these developments reveal a broader pattern of the current administration's efforts to restrict DEI initiatives and related protections across federal funding and employment policies, sparking multiple legal challenges that emphasize the defense of First Amendment and anti-discrimination rights.