Federal Court Refuses To Limit Injunction Against EO 14173, But Appeal Remains Pending

November 13, 2025

What's New

A federal district court recently refused to narrow its preliminary injunction blocking the Department of Labor from enforcing the certification portion of President Trump’s E.O. 14173. The executive order requires every government contractor or grant award recipient to certify that it does not operate any DEI programs that violate anti-discrimination laws. In Chicago Women In Trades (CWIT) v. Trump, the government argued that a recent Supreme Court decision required a more limited injunction, but the court disagreed.

What It Means

There are three major lawsuits challenging E.O. 14173:

CWIT v Trump: The injunction against the Labor Department’s enforcement is on appeal to the Seventh Circuit;
National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) v. Trump: The court’s preliminary injunction prohibiting the government from enforcing the certification provisions is stayed pending appeal to the Fourth Circuit. Oral arguments were held September 11; and
National Urban League v. Trump: The D.C. federal district court is considering the government’s motion to dismiss.

These cases will determine whether contractors must comply with E.O. 14173’s certification requirements.

What You Should Do

While courts review E.O. 14173, contractors should maintain strong civil rights compliance programs. We’ll discuss these lawsuits and their implications at our CWC Member Briefing: A Look Back and Ahead on December 10.

RELATED CONTENT

Add

Data pager
Data pager
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... Page size: 5 10 20 50 Change page size 196 items in 40 pages

Show all 196

EO 11246: Equal Employment Opportunity

Jun 16, 2025 – A high level summary of Executive Order 11246, which was rescinded on January 21, 2025.

OFCCP Posts Several New FY 2023 Financial Settlements, and One Consent Decree

Jan 10, 2023 – The six new conciliation agreements with financial terms posted by OFCCP since the beginning of the agency’s 2023 fiscal year represent a notable increase over the same period last year.

OFCCP AAP-VI 2023 Certification Update

Apr 13, 2023 – The OFCCP’s 2023 online “Affirmative Action Program Verification Interface” certification appears to be similar to last year, although some important compliance-related questions still remain unresolved.

What’s the “Dismantle DEI Act,” and How Would It Impact Corporate DEI Efforts?

Sep 5, 2024 – This resource explains the Dismantle DEI Act, a bill sponsored by Republican Vice-Presidential candidate J.D. Vance.

OFCCP Publishes Helpful Guidance on Use of Artificial Intelligence

May 9, 2024 – Federal contractors may find helpful a new guidance document published by OFCCP that outlines the risks and obligations that are potentially triggered by the use of AI and other automated systems in the workplace.

Subscribe to CWC's Updates and Events

CLICK TO SIGN UP

New Tab

Resources

Our library of sources helping you understand and manage your workplace requirements and risks.

Data Center

Metrics and dashboards guiding you to make statistics and research-driven decisions.

Events

Learn and network at events focused on compliance policy, practice, and strategy.

Diversance Connect

Helping members find and connect with thousands of outreach and recruitment sources.