Federal Judge Refuses to Intervene in Dismissals of CIA Officers Involved in DEI Initiatives
U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga in Virginia had earlier enacted an administrative stay to halt the firings.
On Thursday, a federal judge refused to issue a temporary restraining order that would have prolonged the suspension of the terminations for numerous CIA officers involved in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives, which were mandated to be abolished by President Donald Trump.
The judge also extended the deadline for the plaintiffs to decide on a deferred resignation program, allowing them to receive compensation until September 30.
Trenga did not specify the reasons behind his ruling in the order. He indicated that the decision was made after reviewing “the filings, the record in this case, and the oral arguments” presented before the court.
Kevin Carroll, a former CIA undercover officer representing the plaintiffs, informed reporters on Thursday that Trenga had ruled that CIA Director John Ratcliffe possesses “sweeping statutory authority” to dismiss CIA officers if deemed necessary for national interests.
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The Epoch Times attempted to contact Carroll and the CIA for comments but did not receive responses before publication time.
The plaintiffs claimed that their pending terminations were not based on national security justifications but rather stemmed from their temporary DEIA-related roles and “a domestic political dispute between the Republican and Democratic parties over the effectiveness and legality of DEIA initiatives” within the federal framework.
They argued that the terminations were “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion” and lacked factual basis, which they believed infringed upon their constitutional rights as outlined in the First and Fifth Amendments.
“None of these officers’ actions was or is unlawful. At no point did the agencies employing the plaintiffs assert that they personally engaged in any violation of conduct, nor have they been charged with poor performance,” they asserted in their court statement.
In his executive order, Trump stated that the prior administration had imposed “illegal and immoral discrimination programs” upon nearly “all aspects” of the federal government through DEI agendas.
The order demands that federal agencies eliminate all offices and positions associated with environmental justice and any equity-related plans, grants, or contracts within 60 days of its issuance.
Additionally, it requires agencies to compile a list of entities that received federal support to implement DEI and environmental justice initiatives since January 20, 2021, alongside federal contractors who offered DEI training to their staff.
Trump’s order aligns with his campaign promise to abolish considerations like race and gender in HR practices, advocating for merit-based selection systems instead.
Tom Ozimek and Reuters contributed to this report.
