By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday directing government agency heads to dismantle the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies of federal agencies, federal and private sector contractors, the White House said.

Here are some key directives from the order:

PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ARE REMOVED

The order calls for “an end to illegal discrimination in the federal government.”

It repealed executive policies dating back to 1965 on equal employment opportunities, environmental actions designed to protect communities of color, and efforts to “balance the workforce” among federal contractors based on race, gender and religion.

Civil rights and diversity advocates argue that such policies are necessary to address longstanding inequities.

PRIVATE SECTOR ‘ENCOURAGED’ TO END DEI

In one section, the order urges the private sector to “end illegal discrimination and DEI preferences.” It added that “the heads of all agencies, with the assistance of the Attorney General, must take all appropriate actions in relation to the operations of their agencies to promote in the private sector the policy of individual initiative, efficiency , and hard work.”

ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SUBMIT THE REPORT

The order requests the US attorney general to consult with government agencies and submit within 120 days a report “containing recommendations for the enforcement of federal civil rights laws and the making of other appropriate measures to encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI.”

The report will list the most “egregious and discriminatory DEI practitioners” in each sector of concern and discuss measures to prevent DEI programs or principles that constitute “illegal discrimination,” the order said. .

As part of the plan, each agency must identify up to nine “potential civil compliance investigations of publicly traded corporations, large non-profit corporations or associations, foundations with assets of $500 million or more, state and local bar and medical associations, and institutions of higher education with endowments in excess of $1 billion.”

The order did not detail potential regulatory action or penalties.

EDUCATION REPORT

The order says within 120 days from Tuesday, the attorney general and the secretary of education will jointly issue guidance to all education agencies that receive federal funding regarding compliance with a 2023 decision in which the US Supreme Court rejected affirmative action in university admissions.