Today, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a preliminary injunction in the case brought by Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) challenging anti-DEI executive orders. The injunction enjoins the Department of Labor from requiring grantees and contractors nationwide to certify that they do not operate DEI programs to receive funding and from canceling CWIT’s Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant. In response, Sabrina Talukder, senior counsel with the Economic Justice Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law issued the following statement regarding the preliminary injunction in the case:

“The court issued a preliminary injunction that will further allow Chicago Women in Trades to challenge the enforcement of key provisions of the anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion executive orders. These orders target the very nature of its mission, and we are pleased that the critical work Chicago Women in Trades leads for dismantling barriers for women, and especially women of color, in the skilled trades, can continue without threat of enforcement for the time being.

Still, we are working to secure a permanent injunction against this enforcement, for both our client and for other similarly situated organizations that receive federal funds.We must continue to stand for diversity, equity, and inclusion, as this case is a significant step in ensuring nonprofits everywhere can continue to serve their communities without fear of retribution or censorship.”

CWIT is represented by a team of civil rights lawyers from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and pro-bono counsel Crowell & Moring LLP, along with the National Women’s Law Center, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.

View the preliminary injunction.

Read: Chicago Women in Trades Challenges Executive Orders Threatening Workforce Development Programs