Federal Contractor DEI Ban Under Fire Again: State Coalition Targets Agency Rollout
On June 10, 2026, a coalition of twenty states and the District of Columbia filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland challenging federal agency actions taken to implement Executive Order (EO) 14398, the Trump administration’s March 26, 2026, order barring federal contractors and subcontractors from engaging in “racially discriminatory DEI activities.” 00:00 17:43 Quick Hits Twenty states and the District of Columbia, acting in their capacity as federal contractors, have filed suit challenging the FAR Council’s implementing actions for EO 14398, arguing those actions exceed the agency’s statutory authority and were issued without the notice-and-comment process required under federal procurement policy requirements. The state coalition targets the agency implementing actions under the APA, arguing they are procedurally defective and the resulting contract terms too vague to enforce. Another lawsuit challenges the executive order on First Amendment grounds and al...