City of Seattle Secures Preliminary Injunction on DEI and Gender Executive Orders
On October 31, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington halted enforcement of Section 3(b)(iv) of Executive Order 14173 (the “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Order”) and Section 3(g) of Executive Order (EO) 14168 (the “Gender Order”) against the City of Seattle by granting a preliminary injunction. In City of Seattle v. Trump , the court found the City of Seattle was likely to succeed on its Administrative Procedure Act claims, concluding that the challenged funding conditions exceeded statutory authority, implicated separation-of-powers principles, and were arbitrary and capricious. The court ordered immediate remedial steps, declaring past implementation actions null and void and requiring a compliance status report within three days. The injunction is limited to the City of Seattle and does not extend nationwide; however, it sets the stage for future injunctive relief actions. Quick Hits The U.S. District Court for the ...