Compliance Stuff

On October 30, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois denied the government’s motion to narrow—and partially stay—the court’s April 14, 2025,  preliminary injunction  barring the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing  Executive Order (EO) 14173’s  “Certification Provision” against any DOL grantee or contractor. The court held, despite the Supreme Court of the United States’ caution in  Trump v. CASA, Inc.  against universal injunctions, that a n injunction against DOL-wide enforcement of the executive order that tackles diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives is necessary to provide complete relief to the plaintiff, Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT), and to prevent a pervasive chilling effect on free speech and conduct rights protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Quick Hits An Illinois federal judge refused to limit a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of a provision in President...

On March 27, 2025, a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing portions of two provisions in President Donald Trump’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-related executive orders (EO) . Quick Hits A federal judge in Illinois issued a temporary restraining order blocking the DOL from enforcing certain provisions in two executive orders aimed at eliminating “illegal” DEI programs. The judge found certain provisions are coercive and undefined, likely violating the First Amendment. The ruling comes amid multiple ongoing legal challenges related to DEI initiatives. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting the DOL from enforcing a “termination provision” that requires federal agencies to terminate grants or contracts with organizations that promote DEI and a “certification provision” that requires grant recipients to certify unde...