Elimination of Federal Diversity Initiatives: Updates and Current Status Authors: Latoya Hill and Samantha Artiga Published: Jun 4, 2026

https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/elimination-of-federal-diversity-initiatives-updates-and-current-status/ It has now been over a year since President Trump signed executive orders eliminating federal diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) programs and related initiatives, reshaping policies and priorities across federal agencies, research, and education. Additionally, the Trump administration’s workforce reshaping initiatives, including reductions in force, the Deferred Resignation Program, early retirement incentives and a hiring freeze have led to major declines in the federal workforce which have reduced resources available to support efforts to address disparities. While some efforts have been halted or modified by court rulings, the Trump administration has continued to take steps to remove staff, programs, funding, data collection, and other activities tied to concepts of diversity, equity, or disparities. Together, these actions signal a significant shift in federal approaches to addressing inequities and may have broad implications for efforts to monitor and address disparities in health and health care, as well as for the diversity of the workforce, including in health care.