A little-known federal office spent decades investigating potential discrimination by government contractors — until it was stopped by the Trump administration. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), housed within the Labor Department, had long enforced affirmative action and anti-bias rules for companies holding federal contracts. Its audits uncovered systemic pay disparities, hiring discrimination, and retaliation against workers.

Under Trump, the agency saw its budget slashed, staff reduced by nearly half, and enforcement actions plummet. Political appointees redirected focus from proactive investigations to complaint-driven responses, effectively ending random audits that had pressured contractors to self-police. Civil rights advocates warn the pullback allows workplace bias to fester unchecked across a workforce of 26 million employees at federal contractors.

The Biden administration has sought to restore OFCCP’s authority, proposing new rules to strengthen pay transparency and expand discrimination protections. Yet career staff say rebuilding institutional capacity after years of neglect will take sustained investment. The episode underscores how administrative choices can silently reshape civil rights enforcement without congressional action.