Trump Administration Removes Federal Ban on Segregated Facilities in Contracts

A General Services Administration memo eliminates a key clause enforcing workplace integration, raising concerns from civil rights advocates about its symbolic and legal implications.

The General Services Administration (GSA) has instructed federal agencies to exclude the 'Prohibition of Segregated Facilities' clause from new contracts, following a Trump executive order.
This change stems from an order titled 'Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,' which rescinded Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 nondiscrimination directive.
While segregation remains illegal under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and state laws, critics argue the removal of the clause weakens enforcement and sends a troubling message.
Civil rights organizations, including the ACLU and CAIR, have condemned the move as undermining decades of progress toward workplace integration and equity.
Legal experts warn of potential conflicts between the new directive and existing anti-discrimination laws, with federal agencies like DHS and NIH already implementing the changes.