President Trump has issued an executive order aiming to curtail Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in federally funded higher education institutions. The White House states the objective is to promote "merit-based opportunity." The order mandates the closure of DEI offices in federal agencies and initiates a review of DEI teachings and practices in educational institutions receiving federal funding. The administration contends that some DEI initiatives constitute discriminatory practices based on race and sex, violating the spirit of civil rights laws. The order calls for the Attorney General and Secretary of Education to identify potential civil compliance investigations in institutions with endowments exceeding $1 billion and to develop plans to discourage programs deemed discriminatory. Within 120 days, guidance will be issued to state and local educational institutions receiving federal funds or participating in student loan programs, emphasizing compliance with the Supreme Court's decision in *Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College*, which deemed race-based admissions unlawful. The order maintains that it won't restrict First Amendment-protected speech. Representative Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, expressed support for the executive order, criticizing DEI initiatives for promoting ideology over merit and inflating education budgets. Legal scholar Jonathan Turley anticipates legal challenges to the order's implementation. Some experts predict that universities may preemptively adjust their policies to align with the order's principles. Several states have already banned or limited DEI initiatives in public colleges and universities.

President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th U.S. president on Monday. (Evan Vucci)

Linda McMahon, former administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and education secretary nominee for President Donald Trump, arrives for a meeting with Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, not pictured, on Capitol Hill in Washinngton, D.C., on Jan. 8. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg)

President Donald Trump takes part in a signing ceremony after his inauguration in the President's Room at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Monday. (Melina Mara)