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Trump's Department of Education issued a warning on Thursday (April 3) that schools offering "impermissible" DEI programs have 10 days before they are at risk of losing federal funding.
According to USA Today, the department is giving state education commissioners across the nation 10 days to certify that they're following civil rights laws and court rulings. Without the certification, Trump administration officials warned that the federal government could revoke funds, impose "substantial liabilities, or launch Justice Department investigations.
The Education Department's latest memo doesn't clarify what the administration views as a DEI program, but says DEI practices advantage one race over another. According to the memo, the use of "certain" DEI practices amount to federal law violations.
The Trump administration previously set a two-week deadline for schools nationwide in February to eliminate their DEI initiatives or risk losing federal funding.
At the time, the Education Department sent a memo ordering schools to end any practice that treats students or workers differently because of their race within the next 14 days. Schools will be at risk of losing federal money if they don't stop using "racial preferences" as a factor in admission, financial aid, hiring, and other areas, February's memo stated.
In a statement, Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said federal financial assistance is a "privilege, not a right."
"When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal antidiscrimination requirements," he said.
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