The National Partnership for Women & Families supported our coalition partners, the NAACP LDF, the Lawyers Committee, and the National Women’s Law Center’s drafting of this explainer document regarding a recently issued Executive Order (EO) targeting DEIA.
On March 26, 2026, President Trump issued a new Executive Order seeking to pressure federal contractors to preemptively end programs designed to eliminate barriers for Black workers and workers of color. As with prior actions, the March 26, 2026 Executive Order has created confusion and fear about what federal contractors can do to ensure equal opportunity.
This explainer lays out what federal contractors, civil rights organizations, and others need to know about the March 26, 2026 Executive Order and its impact on the current legal landscape.
The bottom line is that Federal law already prohibits discrimination based on race by most federal contractors. It also permits actions to ensure equal opportunity. The March 26,2026 Executive Order does not change that.
