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A critical deadline is looming on American companies that could degenerate the war against Dei.
In January, President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies Send a report to the Attorney General identifying up to nine organizations with “the most flagrant and discriminating DEI practitioners”. These companies would be potential objectives of a “survey on civil compliance”. The agencies had 120 days to find their lists – a time limit that should expire next week.
“Companies have tried to prepare for this deadline in particular,” said Joe Schmitt, labor and employment lawyer in Nilan Johnson Lewis Fortune. He notes that many companies have been preparing for months by analyzing the legality or potential risks around Dei programs.
We do not know which organizations will be appointed, or even if the information will be shared publicly. But legal experts say that large public companies that have been more frank on Dei, as well as those that have entered Trump reticulation for personal reasons, are more likely targets. If a company is distinguished, however, it will have to make a crucial decision: submit to requests from the administration or defend its policies.
Given the recent decrees of the Trump administration targeting law firms, as well as his investigation into organizations such as Harvard UniversityExperts say he will probably want to take this opportunity to do a public calculation.
“Whether or not it is a huge list or a small list, or any list, is still not clear. But I suppose they will want to make a big splash,” said Andrew Turnbull, Lawyer and Copreside Fortune.
Find out more about the deadline for Dei and what it means for companies here.
Brit Morse
Brit.morse@fortune.com
This story was initially presented on Fortune.com
