On February 6, 2025, nearly 170 employees at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR) were placed on administrative leave. The affected employees worked on environmental justice efforts to address historical and current harms to disadvantaged and minority communities, which are disproportionately impacted by pollution.
The office, which had approximately 200 employees in 2024, oversees more than $3 billion in grants and loans to address environmental and climate risks. According to Matthew Tejada, former deputy assistant administrator for OEJECR during the Biden administration, this move "leaves the environmental justice program at EPA on life support."