Trump Administration

Recent remarks from Trump Administration senior officials signal an expanding federal focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives—particularly where they intersect with corporate hiring, promotion, and compensation decisions.

DOJ Elevates DEI-Related FCA Investigations to “Expedited Priority Treatment”

At the February 19, 2026 annual qui tam conference hosted by the Federal Bar Association, a Department of Justice (DOJ) official emphasized that investigations into DEI-related employment practices are “receiving expedited priority treatment.”… Continue Reading

Two cases involving challenges to the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are making waves in the federal appellate courts—each raising fundamental questions about the scope and legality of the Administration’s policy direction.

Fourth Circuit:  Lifted Injunction

On February 6, 2026, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court injunction that had blocked enforcement of President Trump’s Executive Orders targeting DEI in federal funding.… Continue Reading

On February 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued a Notice announcing new minimum wage rates for workers performing work on or in connection with federal contracts covered by the 2014 Obama-era Executive Order 13658, which established a minimum wage for federal contractors and subcontractors. Effective May 11, 2026, the minimum wage for certain federal contracts will be $13.65 per hour for regular employees and $9.55 per hour for tipped employees.… Continue Reading

Recent news about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in several parts of the United States, including major events in Minneapolis, have encouraged U.S. businesses and organizations to review their compliance and enforcement protocols. Attorneys in Ballard Spahr’s Immigration, Labor and Employment, and White Collar Defense and Investigation Groups have published guidance throughout the year regarding compliance.… Continue Reading

On January 23, 2026, the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Fact Sheet 2026-01, providing answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the new “Deduction for Qualified Overtime Compensation” created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the OBBBA).

The OBBBA created the Deduction for Qualified Overtime Compensation to allow individuals to claim a federal income tax deduction for certain qualified overtime compensation for the 2025 to 2028 tax years.… Continue Reading

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has finalized the rule overhauling the H‑1B cap selection process, replacing the longstanding random lottery with a wage-based, weighted selection system. The final rule makes no changes to the regulatory text from the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in September 2025. The rule is scheduled to take effect February 27, 2026, positioning it to govern the upcoming H-1B cap lottery in March 2026.… Continue Reading

On December 10, 2025, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in Minnesota federal court against Minneapolis Public Schools (“MPS”) Special School District No. 1, its Board of Directors, and the MPS Superintendent. The Complaint alleges that the Defendants are discriminating against teachers based on their race, color, sex, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, based on provisions in the Defendants’ collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the teachers’ union.… Continue Reading

U.S. employers and employees with nonimmigrant visa status should be aware of significant disruptions in the scheduling of H-1B and H-4 visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, with the potential for broader disruptions. Many interviews scheduled on or after December 15, 2025, are being unilaterally rescheduled to several months later—some as late as June 2026—to allow for implementation of new Department of State security procedures, which require U.S.… Continue Reading

Although much of our attention this fall was focused on the government shutdown, health plan sponsors may be interested in several less-publicized developments affecting group health plans.

The Upshot

  • Two universities have been accused in lawsuits of breaching their fiduciary duties in offering a health benefit option that is always or almost always unfavorable from a financial perspective when compared with another health plan option.
… Continue Reading

The City of Seattle recently succeeded in securing a partial injunction against the Trump Administration’s enforcement of two executive orders (EOs) under which the Administration threatened to withhold millions in federal grant funding to the City. Judge Barbara J. Rothstein’s decision in the Western District of Washington, if upheld on appeal, has significant implications for federal grant recipients and the conditions that may be imposed on federal funding related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and gender issues.… Continue Reading