On Friday, February 21, the Maryland District Court issued a preliminary injunction in Nat’l Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump, temporarily blocking certain provisions of two recent executive orders:
- Executive Order 14151 (Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, Jan. 20, 2025)
- Executive Order 14173 (Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, Jan. 21, 2025)
Key Provisions Affected:
- Termination of “equity-related” grants or contracts (EO 14151)
- Certification requirement ensuring recipients do not promote DEI programs (EO 14173)
- Enforcement threat provision mandating agencies list nine potential civil compliance investigations (EO 14173)
Court’s Prohibitions:
The court has temporarily blocked the administration from:
- Canceling, pausing, or altering any current grants, contracts, or obligations based on the termination provisions.
- Requiring any DEI-related certifications from grantees or contractors.
- Initiating any enforcement actions tied to these provisions.
As a preliminary injunction, this decision does not permanently resolve the matter, and the administration may choose to appeal.
We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available. For those interested, the preliminary injunction order and court’s supporting memorandum are accessible.
For more information on federal directives and their implications, please also visit our DCG Federal Directives page.