Each week, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore provides a summary of newly issued Executive Orders and other significant Presidential and federal actions that have a foreseeable impact on governance, compliance, and operational policies for California employers. The summaries below outline the key provisions of each action, along with our brief analysis of their potential implications for municipal agencies, school districts, nonprofits, and private schools.
On March 27, 2025, a Chicago federal judge granted a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Labor from enforcing part of a Trump executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The ruling prevents the Department of Labor from requiring grantees to certify that they do not “operate any programs promoting DEI that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws” for two weeks while the court considers a longer-term injunction.
The judge’s ruling comes shortly after a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit staying a prior injunction that had blocked enforcement of President Trump’s DEI related executive orders. The judge’s order applies nationally, but its impact is limited to grantees that receive funds from the Department of Labor.