The city of Maryland, along with three other organizations, filed a lawsuit against U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration on Monday. They asked a federal court to block and declare unconstitutional a pair of executive orders aimed at ending diversity programs.
Trump has sought to eliminate U.S. government support for diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. He issued executive orders on his first two days in office, threatening economic sanctions and dismissals related to these practices.
The lawsuit, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the district of Maryland, claims the orders exceed the president’s authority under the U.S. Constitution. The plaintiffs seek both preliminary and permanent injunctions to block the orders and request that the court declare them unlawful and unconstitutional.
“In the United States, there is no king,” states the lawsuit. The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors, the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and the mayor and city council of Baltimore are all involved in this suit.
The lawsuit names Trump, nine government departments and their respective cabinet officers, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Management and Budget as defendants.
The White House referred comments to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to requests for a statement.
During his campaign, Trump pledged to eliminate programs that assist women, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ individuals in securing government jobs and contracts. He claimed these practices unfairly disadvantage more qualified candidates.
Civil rights and pro-equality groups argue that these programs are necessary to address ongoing discrimination. Women and African Americans did not achieve legal equality until the 20th century. Many continue to lag behind white males in terms of pay and opportunities.
“In his crusade to erase diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility from our country,” the lawsuit asserts, “President Trump cannot usurp Congress’s exclusive power of the purse, nor can he silence those who disagree with him by threatening them with the loss of federal funds and other enforcement action.”
Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order rescinded the diversity policies of the Biden administration. It also directed federal agencies to terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” positions and offices.
The Jan. 21 order targeted publicly traded corporations, large non-profit organizations, foundations, and associations in the state and local bar and medical fields. It sought to deter them from engaging in diversity programs.
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