“These programs divide Americans by race, waste taxpayer dollars, and result in shameful discrimination,” reads the memo from DHS acting secretary Benjamine C. Huffman, which was sent out on Wednesday.
DEI has been controversial across the government for years, but came under particular scrutiny at DHS following a nearly successful assassination attempt against President Donald Trump last July. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle came under fire for her diversity initiatives, including a pledge to make 30% of the agency, which is part of DHS, female by 2030.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) called Cheatle a “DEI hire,” and the 2023-2027 strategic plan from the Secret Service pushed “diversity” to the top of the agency’s priority list. Cheatle resigned after facing bipartisan criticism at a Congressional hearing.
The new memo warns that DHS is aware of efforts by some government employees to disguise DEI programs by using “coded or imprecise language,” and instructing anyone aware of a change in contract or personnel position description change made since Election Day to report it within 10 days.
“There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information,” the memo reads. “However, failure to report this information within 10 days will result in adverse consequences.”
Some DEI offices have reportedly been given generic names such as “community outreach” in an effort to fly under the radar, leading to the directive to report. The memo directs employees to report hidden DEI programs to [email protected].
The DHS memo is part of a larger executive order President Donald Trump issued on his first day in office targeting DEI programs across the federal government. Trump has also rescinded an executive order issued by former President Joe Biden in June 2021 titled “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce,” along with related moves by the outgoing administration.
“Federal employee performance reviews shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements,” Trump’s Jan. 20 order states.
As of Wednesday morning, all federal DEI staff have been put on paid leave, and all DEI-related government web pages have been ordered taken down by 5 p.m.
Each federal agency has been tasked with compiling lists of all DEI offices and workers and executing a “reduction-in-force” against them. The DHS memo largely follows a template set up by the Trump administration earlier this week.
Trump campaigned hard against DEI initiatives during his campaign and promised to restore merit-based promotion to the U.S. government if elected.
DHS may come in for particular scrutiny under Trump because the agency is charged with border security, something Republicans say the Biden administration failed at spectacularly when millions of illegal migrants entered the U.S. between 2021 and mid-2024.
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Former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was impeached over his handling of border security, becoming the first Cabinet member to face impeachment in nearly 150 years. However, Mayorkas never faced a trial in the Senate.
Trump has nominated former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead DHS during his second administration.
