By Steve Neavling
The FBI has shut down its Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), with the closure set to take full effect by December 2024.
This decision marks a significant shift in the agency’s approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
“In recent weeks, the FBI took steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), effective by December 2024,” an FBI spokesperson said Thursday in an email to The Hill. The move follows mounting criticism of DEI initiatives, particularly in the wake of the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans, which claimed at least 14 lives and left dozens injured, according to law enforcement.
Federal law enforcement agencies have faced scrutiny from high-ranking Republicans who argue that a focus on diversity has undermined their core mission. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., recently weighed in, citing concerns about misplaced priorities in the FBI and other agencies.
“Some of these agencies have gotten so wrapped up in the DEI movement. You know, call it wokeness, call it whatever you want,” Scalise said during a radio interview earlier this month. “But where their main focus is on diversity and inclusion as opposed to security. And they’re two very different things. And we’ve got to get back to that core mission.”
The FBI’s New Orleans office also faced backlash for organizing “Diversity Agent Recruiting” events, which critics claim distracted from its safety and security responsibilities. Anti-DEI advocates have pointed to these initiatives as emblematic of misplaced priorities within federal agencies.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., joined the chorus of criticism, accusing outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray of failing to focus on the agency’s mission to safeguard Americans. In a strongly worded letter dated Jan. 3, Blackburn argued that the FBI’s DEI efforts had compromised national security.
“Put simply, your focus on woke DEI initiatives at the FBI has endangered our national security and the lives of all Americans,” Blackburn wrote.
Blackburn added, “Americans now feel increasingly unsafe because of incidents like the January 1 terror attack, and the FBI’s prioritization of diversity over competence shows that their concerns are well founded.”
