The Guardian: ‘People will die’: alarm as Trump’s DEI rollback hits anti-trafficking efforts

Agencies and organizations are complying with the directive to not lose funding, but are concerned vulnerable groups will suffer

Katie McQueFri 21 Mar 2025 06.00 EDTShare

The US government has ordered law enforcement agencies, the state department and some non-profit organizations working to combat sex trafficking to remove references to victims’ LGBTQ+ identities, race and immigration status from their communications and websites, a move experts warn will endanger vulnerable minors.

Interviews with a prosecutor, government personnel, trafficking non-profit executives, as well as email correspondence reviewed by the Guardian show that agencies and organizations are complying with the orders to avoid losing federal funding. Experts in child safety say the policy is fostering a climate of fear, forcing organizations to acquiesce in order to retain crucial funding at the expense of helping victims.

The directive stems from executive orders issued by Donald Trump targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and LGBTQ+ communities. Some non-profits receiving federal funding have been prohibited from using the terms “marginalized”, “vulnerable” and “immigrants” in correspondence from grant funders.

Read full story here: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/mar/21/anti-trafficking-race-lgbt-immigration-demographics