(The Center Square) – American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Public Policy Director Ed Yohnka says his group stands in unity with all the local civil rights organizations now taking legal action against President Donald Trump in hopes of thwarting his administration’s plan to rollback diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
“We aren’t part of it, but what I will say is from our perspective I think that the measures the administration has taken thus far with regards to DEI really pose a sort of reckless course that threatens to unwrite and undo a lot of progress that we’ve seen made in equal access to opportunities across the country,” Yohnka told The Center Square. “I think it’s a really precarious thing to sort of suggest that we can make progress by going backwards.”
Since taking office last week, the newly elected Commander-in-Chief has formally signed an executive order ending diversity programs in the military and other federal departments, along with orders directing top-level Pentagon officials to review policy on transgender troops.
Yohnka is among those criticizing the actions.
“He talked about not wanting to teach an accurate history of the United States so that some people did feel less about themselves,” he said. “In terms of the damage, we further segregate opportunity in our society. These programs have never involved hiring, promoting or admitting people into opportunities for which they aren’t qualified. It simply has been opening up the pool of people who would even be considered for entry.”
ACLU officials have filed suit against the administration over its birthright citizenship executive order
The Trump administration has its share of supporters, with Illinois Rep. State Rep. Dan Ugaste insisting he’s not only fine with the changes but he also feels like policies similar to DEI initiatives do more to spur racial divide than anything else.
“We should be looking for equality of opportunity, not equity of outcomes,” he told The Center Square. “If someone’s working hard, I don’t care what the color of their skin, is they should be able to get ahead. You aren’t guaranteed an equal outcome just because of some other basis.”
