Appeals court rules Trump can implement anti-DEI executive orders for now

An appeals court on Friday lifted a block on executive orders seeking to end government support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, handing the Trump administration a win after a string of setbacks defending President Trump's agenda from dozens of lawsuits.

The decision from a three-judge panel allows the orders to be enforced as a lawsuit challenging them plays out. The appeals court judges halted a nationwide injunction from U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Baltimore.

Two of the judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that Mr. Trump's anti-DEI push could eventually raise concerns about First Amendment rights but said Abelson's sweeping block went too far.