Judge Partially Blocks Trump’s Orders Curbing DEI Programs

Higher education groups and Baltimore officials argue the executive orders violate existing law and exceed presidential powers.

President Donald Trump speaks at the Governors Working Session in the State Dining Room of the White House on Feb. 21, 2025. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

A federal district judge on Feb. 21 issued an order partly blocking President Donald Trump’s executive orders withdrawing support for so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Maryland granted a preliminary injunction against the executive actions in a lawsuit known as National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump.