A General Services Administration (GSA) proposal, which follows a similar policy from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) that was blocked in courts, would require federal funding recipients to certify that they are not knowingly hiring or recruiting undocumented staff. The proposed policy is in support of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration and its desire to ban diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and accessibility programs at schools and elsewhere, with a proposal that would require all federal funding recipients to certify that they do not have such initiatives.
The certification would cover programs the Trump administration calls “discriminatory practices,” such as race-based scholarships or programs, “cultural competence” requirements, and “overcoming obstacles” narratives or “diversity statements.” Training programs that “create a hostile environment” would likewise be prohibited for entities that get federal funding.
The move continues the administration’s anti-DEI push, which hit a roadblock in the education sector when federal courts last year blocked the U.S. Department of Education from implementing a similar measure.
However, in February, the Trump administration also scored a legal victory in its anti-DEI efforts, when the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals undid a temporary pause against three major provisions in two executive orders aimed at eliminating DEI practices in education and other sectors.
GSA, which posted the proposed requirement earlier this year, estimates it would impact 222,760 entities receiving federal funds.
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