DUBAI: The CIA is moving ahead with what could be the largest mass firing in nearly 50 years, targeting officers involved in diversity, equality, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) programs. On February 21, the agency began summoning these officers, instructing them to either resign or face termination. However, a federal court quickly intervened to halt the move, and a judge in the Eastern District of Virginia will hold a hearing on February 24 to assess a temporary restraining order.
The US Justice Department has argued that the CIA director has the authority to fire personnel in the national interest, including the 21 officers involved in DEIA programs. The department’s brief claims the move follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which ordered an end to diversity hiring across the federal government.
This legal battle marks the first public clash between US intelligence officers and Trump’s new spy chiefs. Lawyers for the affected officers argue that the terminations are just the beginning of wider cuts. The officers in question had been placed on administrative leave following Trump’s executive order and were given three options: resignation, retirement by October 1, or termination on May 20.
The CIA’s last major downsizing took place in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter, when 198 officers were dismissed due to a shift in the agency’s focus away from covert actions. This current case highlights the tension between the government’s priorities and the role of diversity officers within the CIA, with some arguing that the targeted officers were skilled recruiters rather than diversity experts.
