California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a coalition of 17 attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief opposing the Trump Administration’s executive orders targeting programs that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). These orders declare programs promoting DEIA to be illegal and discriminatory, and require executive agencies to certify that all their contracts and grants do not promote DEIA. In the brief, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition support nonprofit organization Chicago Women in Trades in its lawsuit challenging the orders as unlawful. The coalition urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to uphold the preliminary injunction granted by a district court blocking the executive orders’ restrictions.

“Supporting policies that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility ensures all individuals can grow and thrive without unfair roadblocks, not just in California, but across the nation,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Trump’s continued attacks on these values not only threaten the data-backed economic and social benefits DEIA practices bring to communities, but also leverage federal funding to suppress state and private entities’ right to express their values. My fellow attorneys general and I will continue to support those standing up against Trump’s bully tactics and anti-American orders, and will fight to ensure safe and welcoming communities for all.”