President Donald Trump’s purge of DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion personnel in the federal government just cleared a major legal hurdle.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga will not stop Trump from firing 51 employees under the Central Intelligence Agency and director of National Intelligence who were working in DEI and accessibility positions.
Trenga questioned the Trump administration’s decision in several hearings in February as to why these employees could not be transferred elsewhere, rather than being let go.
“These are talented, experienced assets, if you will, that would be in the interests of the United States to be reassigned elsewhere, if that need existed,” Trenga said Monday.
Lawyers for the Trump administration said the intel community could fire these people through a regulation that reads, “any employee may be terminated from the Agency at any time without regard to any procedural steps … when the [director], in his discretion, deems it necessary or advisable in the interest of the United States.”
The plaintiffs — 19 anonymous employees — argued the firings were not happening for reasons of national security and should be looked at individually rather than these employees being fired wholesale.
According to Politico, Trenga concluded CIA Director John Ratcliffe had, “uncabined discretion” to make these firings under the “national interest” provision, which strips the employees of any manner to oppose their termination.
The plaintiffs argued against their firing, saying it violates two federal laws and the First and Fifth Amendments.
“The regulations clearly state that there is no property interest in the employment they have,” Trenga said, adding, “The ability of the director to terminate without respect to any other procedures is embedded in those regulations.”
Trenga had previously halted Trump’s firings, but made the decision Thursday they could move forward.
Needless to say, this is tremendous news for Trump in delivering on his promises to the American people.
Mass firings were expected to get rid of the rot from the Biden administration.
DEI workers — really, political officers — collected paychecks to push a backward ideology prioritizing race and gender over merit.
America’s intelligence agencies need to be cutting-edge, just as our military should. Making sure we have enough gay, lesbian, or minority agents won’t be keeping America safe from its enemies.
Trump has faced several challenges over his executive orders.
On Feb. 18, Judge Ana C Reyes took Trump’s lawyers to task over the military trying to get rid of policy regarding preferred pronouns.
We have a system of checks and balances for a reason, but those checks by the judicial branch should not be for activist judges to impede the president’s agenda, absent any real legal concerns.
Trenga’s decision is a big win, but there will be plenty of other challenges to come.
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