Nonprofits allege that the order violates federal law and interferes with its ability to serve the public.
A coalition of activist groups is suing the federal government against President Donald Trump’s executive order that cuts government diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and rejects transgender ideology.
The new lawsuit, known as the National Urban League vs Trump, was filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia on February 19th. Judge Lauren Alican was assigned to the case.
Plaintiffs (National Urban League, National Fair Housing Alliance, AIDS Foundation, Chicago) seek to block executive orders, claiming they violate federal law and the first and fifth amendments to the US Constitution .
The defendant is Trump, who is sued for his official ability as a president, various federal agencies, and the officials who run them.
Among the defendants are the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, Commercial, Commercial, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Judicial, Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The legal complaints were filed by Lambda Legal and the Legal Defense Fund. It is also known as the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.
“We cannot end the HIV epidemic without working to address health disparities among black people, Latin, LGBTQ+ people and trans women,” John Peller of the AIDS Foundation Chicago said in a statement. .
The executive order “prohibits us from doing its critical, life-saving work and bans us from risking the health of our clients and the wider community,” he added.
Lisa Rice, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance, said the executive orders are illegal because the Constitution and Civil Rights Act are “focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.”
“The president cannot revert the constitution or attach a signature to an executive order to deprive us of our rights,” she said in a statement.
The new legal action aims at executive orders 14151, 14168, and 14173.
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on January 20, 2025 at the White House Oval Office in Washington. Anna Money Maker/Getty Images
In the complaint, the plaintiffs argue that the executive order “punishes” them “to express a perspective that supports Deia and transgender people.”
By the order, the plaintiffs said there was a serious risk of losing federal funds.
The order also “considering and censoring content-based speech, advocacy and expression activities,” and, according to the complaint, risks government funds needed “to achieve mission-driven work.” It is exposed to.
“The President may have his perspective, but… the first amendment prohibits him from overly imposing his views on federal contractors and assignees, so the plaintiffs are organised. They are forced to violate their mission or risk losing highly necessary federal funds, and even save lives, sometimes for the communities they serve.”
The Epoch Times reached out for comments to the US Department of Justice on behalf of the defendants.
There were no responses before the publication time.
