WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard has officially ended all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) programs and activities, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this week.
The announcement, issued in a memo by Deputy for Personnel Readiness Gary C. Rasicot, cancels multiple initiatives, including the Diversity and Inclusion Education and Awareness Program, Leadership and Diversity Councils, and the Coast Guard Academy’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan for 2024-2026.
The decision comes just days after President Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” directing federal agencies to eliminate DEIA-related efforts. The Coast Guard acted swiftly to comply with the directive, issuing guidance to immediately cease any ongoing activities tied to the cancelled programs.
This action follows the recent dismissal of the Coast Guard’s DEI-focused Commandant, a move seen as part of the administration’s broader effort to refocus federal agencies on “merit-based principles” and away from what it has described as “divisive” DEI policies.