Judge halts Trump’s effort to fire intelligence staffers linked to government diversity efforts

ISTANBUL (AA) – A judge has blocked the Trump administration’s effort to fire intelligence employees involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

District Judge Anthony Trenga issued a preliminary injunction on Monday ordering that 19 staffers at the CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence staff, who were subject to termination orders, remain on the payroll while they appeal their dismissals and seek reassignment to other roles.

Trenga did not completely reject the chance of the agencies firing the staffers in the future, but said things are on hold until the outcome of their appeals and the consideration of other job opportunities within the agencies.

Separately, US officials said Tuesday that the US Naval Academy removed nearly 400 books from its library after getting instructions from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office to review and discard those said to promote DEI.

This removal of books is part of the Trump administration’s broader push to eliminate DEI content across federal agencies, including policies, programs, online posts, and school curricula.

Shortly after taking office, Trump issued an executive order directing the Office of Personnel Management to end all DEI-related activities within the federal government.

The Trump administration has recently intensified its efforts to dismantle race-based policies in education and employment, saying they amount to reverse discrimination. Critics, however, say the rollback threatens to undo decades of progress in addressing systemic inequality.