How President Trump's DEI orders could impact Minnesota nonprofits
MINNEAPOLIS — President Trump has moved to slash programs across the government focusing on DEI: Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and environmental justice.
The executive order said it is aimed at ending government waste, and calls DEI programming "illegal" and "immoral."
Minnesota GOP Congressman Tom Emmer sent WCCO a statement which said, in part, "Under President Trump, the United States government will be focused on delivering results for the American people, not filling diversity quotas."
It would impact funding for several nonprofits here in Minnesota, assuming legal challenges don't get in the way.
"I'm concerned about the wholesale removal of DEI programs will jeopardize all that progress that's been made," said Angela Dawson, president of the Minnesota Black Farmers Association.
The nonprofit Minnesota Black Farmers Association sets out to ensure resources and opportunities for Black farmers, and relies, in part, on federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Dawson said her organization is currently applying for $400,000 worth of federal funds to help with climate change-related environmental cleanup.
"There's a lot of farms, especially Black farmers, who are also really intentional stewards of the land and wanting to repair some of the climate damage that has been done, the pesticides, the chemicals that are in our water," said Dawson.
"The question is whether or not such an order is constitutional," said David Schultz, constitutional law professor at Hamline University.
There will be roadblocks for Trump's DEI executive orders, in the form of legal challenges, Schultz said. Many of the Trump administration's executive orders were struck down the last time he was in office. In fact, Trump had the worst record in court of any president in the last 80 to 90 years, Schultz said.
"We're going to see, not just with this rule, but in general with a lot of Trump executive orders, questions regarding the legality of the executive orders on just process alone," said Schultz.
Had the president actually sat down with DEI organizations like hers, Dawson said he might not have signed the executive order.
"When Black farmers work for things like equity and inclusion in areas, other people always benefit," said Dawson.
