Attorney General Pamela Bondi has taken steps to campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, moving to intervene in American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Bennett on March 4.
The lawsuit challenges an Illinois law—the first of its kind in the nation—that mandates nonprofits to publicly disclose the race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity of their officers and directors. Bondi and President Donald Trump argue the statute promotes discrimination under the pretext of fostering “diversity,” a stance they aim to dismantle across all sectors.
The Illinois law, enacted to encourage more diverse nonprofit boards, has drawn sharp criticism from the Justice Department, which claims it violates equal protection under the Constitution by prioritizing demographic quotas over merit. “The United States cannot and will not sit idly while a state denies its citizens equal protection under the guise of diversity,” Bondi declared in a statement. “Discrimination in all its forms is abhorrent and must be eliminated. The Department of Justice will continue to exercise its statutory right to intervene in cases whenever a state encourages DEI instead of merit.”
Bondi’s intervention aligns with Trump’s broader agenda to eradicate what he and his administration view as “illegal race and sex preferences” in government and beyond. The lawsuit, filed by the American Alliance for Equal Rights, contends that Illinois’s requirement forces nonprofits to focus on identity metrics rather than qualifications, effectively pressuring them into discriminatory practices. The Justice Department’s involvement marks an early salvo in a promised crackdown on DEI initiatives nationwide.
Acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle reinforced Bondi’s position, citing a recent Supreme Court ruling that “ending discrimination means eliminating all of it.” “This is a case of immense public importance,” Mizelle said. “This intervention seeks to eliminate discrimination via DEI and ensure the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection is enforced.”
The move has sparked debate over the balance between diversity efforts and merit-based systems. Supporters of the Illinois law argue it promotes transparency and inclusivity in nonprofit governance, sectors historically dominated by narrow demographics. Critics, including Bondi, counter that it imposes unconstitutional burdens and undermines individual merit, a principle they say should govern all institutions.
READ: Florida Rep. Luna Targets Sanctuary City Mayors With Criminal Referrals To AG Pam Bondi
Legal experts anticipate a contentious battle in the Northern District of Illinois, where the case is docketed (1:25-cv-00669). Bondi’s intervention signals a proactive Justice Department under Trump’s second term, willing to challenge state laws perceived as clashing with federal equal protection standards.
As the case unfolds, it could set a precedent for how far states can go in mandating demographic disclosures—a fight the administration is framing as a defense of fairness over identity politics.
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