Biden-appointed judge blocks Trump admin order to remove DEI content from National Parks

A Biden-appointed federal judge has blocked an order issued by the Trump administration that directed the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-related material from national parks.

US District Judge Angel Kelley issued a preliminary injunction following a challenge brought by several left-wing groups, including the National Parks Conservation Association, American Association for State and Local History, ⁠and several others. The groups claimed that the Interior Department was removing signs and exhibits in violation of congressional mandates.

The dispute centers on the Interior Department’s implementation of a March 2025 executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," signed by President Donald Trump. The order directed federal agencies to review and remove signage, exhibits, and educational materials deemed to promote a “revisionist movement” that portrays the US as “inherently racist, ​sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably ​flawed." It specifically directed the Interior Department to remove any “false revision of history” from parks, monuments, and memorials.

Judge Kelley ruled the policy’s implementation likely exceeded statutory authority under laws governing the National Park Service, including the National Park Service Organic Act, the National Park Service Centennial Act, and the National Parks Omnibus Management Act.

"History cannot be faithfully told while ​excluding the experiences of communities whose contributions, struggles, and achievements form an important part of our Nation's story," she ​wrote.

Kelly ordered the signs and exhibits to be restored "by the 250th anniversary ‌to ⁠properly honor the remarkable achievements of the United States." In response, the Interior Department accused Kelley of being a "liberal activist judge" and would review appeal options, according to Reuters.