US administration bars border agents from diversity-focused law enforcement events

The Trump administration has issued a directive prohibiting federal border agents and customs officers from attending events hosted by organizations that support women or minority groups in law enforcement, significantly curtailing efforts to foster a more diverse workforce.

According to a senior border official, Timothy Quinn, who recently retired from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after nearly 12 years, an internal memo was circulated in late March instructing officials not to participate in events or conferences organized by groups such as Women in Federal Law Enforcement and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Quinn explained that the directive was part of a broader travel advisory issued to senior officials on March 28, who were expected to communicate the restriction to lower ranks. The memo cited President Trump’s executive order banning diversity practices across the federal government and explicitly barred attendance at events “that have a gender basis, race basis or a culture basis.”

“I think that’s discrimination,” Quinn stated. “I don’t understand why we wouldn’t engage with these organizations to share this kind of information.”

Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, responded by saying, “personnel are free to participate in outside groups on their own time.” However, she emphasized that “CBP will not use taxpayer dollars and official duty hours to fund identity-based events or programs,” underscoring the agency’s mission-focused stance.

This policy forms part of a broader Trump administration effort to roll back diversity and inclusion initiatives across federal agencies, educational institutions, and local governments. The administration has dismantled many diversity programs and initiated investigations into diversity efforts, such as those at universities and in Chicago’s municipal government.

Quinn criticized the new restrictions as harmful and counterproductive, asserting, “Prohibiting federal government agencies from engaging with policing groups because of race, gender, and culture is wrong, discriminatory, and makes America less safe. This shortsighted and harmful ban should be reversed.”

His retirement marks a notable protest against policies that limit engagement with organizations promoting diversity in law enforcement, raising concerns about the future inclusivity of federal agencies.

By Vafa Guliyeva