A stunning move that’s sending shockwaves across Washington, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has terminated two multi-million-dollar programs launched under the Biden administration — programs she says were “abusing counterterrorism funding to push political propaganda in schools.”
The move marks a major rollback of the Biden-era agenda focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and LGBTQ+ initiatives embedded in federal education and prevention programs.
💥 Programs Canceled: “Invent2Prevent” and CP3 Grants
The first major program axed is Invent2Prevent, a DHS initiative originally framed as a tool to prevent radicalization and terrorism among young people.
However, according to Noem, the program was “hijacked by left-wing activists” and turned into a vehicle for cultural and social indoctrination, rather than national security.
“Taxpayer dollars were never meant to fund political training for children. They were meant to protect Americans,” Noem said in a DHS press statement.
“These so-called ‘inclusive programs’ had nothing to do with counterterrorism — and everything to do with advancing one political ideology.”
The second major cut involves $18.5 million in grants from the DHS’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) — money that, according to Noem’s team, was misused to fund “ideologically driven organizations” promoting DEI and LGBTQ+ messaging under the banner of community outreach.
Documents reviewed by DHS officials revealed that these funds went to groups like:
The Eradicate Hate Global Summit, which promoted DEI workshops and “inclusive school environments,”
Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders (SMYAL), a D.C.-based nonprofit focused on LGBTQ+ youth advocacy.
“These grants were not preventing extremism — they were promoting activism,” said a senior DHS official familiar with the decision.
“Our focus must return to keeping the homeland safe, not social engineering.”
⚡ Background: How Biden’s DHS Rebranded Counterterrorism
The Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) was launched under the Biden administration as an evolution of prior counterterrorism efforts. The idea was to “combat domestic extremism through community engagement.”
But over time, critics say, the mission drifted far from its original purpose.
Instead of focusing on identifying radical threats or foreign influence, the program began pouring money into “inclusive education” initiatives and social justice training — many of which had little connection to terrorism prevention.
A 2023 DHS funding report revealed that more than $20 million in CP3 grants were distributed to educational and nonprofit organizations that used the money for DEI workshops, bias training, and LGBTQ+ awareness campaigns.
Conservatives argued that the DHS had become a “social justice department”, prioritizing ideology over security.
Noem’s cancellation, therefore, is being viewed as a course correction — a move to redefine DHS’s mission back to national defense and counterterrorism.
💬 The Debate Over DEI and Education
The cancellations have reignited the national debate over DEI initiatives in education and government.
Supporters of DEI argue that programs promoting inclusion and awareness are essential to building safer, fairer environments — particularly in schools where marginalized students face bullying or discrimination.
“Diversity and inclusion are not propaganda — they are progress,” said Amanda Hughes, a policy analyst at the National Center for Education Equity.
“Eliminating these programs tells LGBTQ and minority students that they don’t matter.”
However, critics see it differently. They argue that DEI programs have crossed into political indoctrination, forcing one worldview onto students and staff through mandatory training and curriculum changes.
“This isn’t about equality — it’s about ideology,” said Dr. Ryan Caldwell, an education policy researcher.
“When you make DEI the lens for everything, you stop teaching students how to think, and start teaching them what to think.”
Noem echoed that sentiment, saying DHS “has no business funding classroom activism.”
🔥 Reaction from Both Sides
The response to Noem’s decision has been swift — and polarizing.
Republicans and conservative media outlets are celebrating the move as a major victory against woke government spending.
Commentators across X (formerly Twitter) and Truth Social praised Noem for “restoring sanity” to DHS operations and for “putting America’s security ahead of political virtue signaling.”
“This is what leadership looks like,” one post read.
“Finally, someone is cutting the woke waste and getting DHS back to defending the country.”
Meanwhile, Democrats and progressive groups have slammed the move as dangerous and discriminatory, accusing the administration of rolling back civil rights protections and targeting vulnerable communities under the guise of budget efficiency.
“Secretary Noem’s decision is a slap in the face to every young person who just wants to feel safe at school,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).
“By canceling these programs, DHS is sending the message that inclusion doesn’t matter.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) called the decision “a politically motivated attack on LGBTQ+ youth,” and vowed to challenge future rollbacks in court if they violate existing civil rights laws.
🧩 The Bigger Picture: A Nationwide DEI Reset
This isn’t just a DHS issue. Across federal agencies, the Trump administration has signaled a systematic review of all DEI-related programs launched since 2021.
From the Department of Education to the Pentagon, officials are examining how deeply DEI and LGBTQ+ initiatives have been woven into the fabric of federal operations.
According to a senior White House adviser, “Every department is under review. If a program promotes ideology over efficiency or national interest, it will be cut.”
This effort reflects a broader conservative backlash against what many call the “institutional capture” of government by left-leaning social movements.
Republicans have argued that DEI frameworks — while marketed as fairness initiatives — have instead created bureaucratic bloat and reverse discrimination in hiring, education, and grant funding.
The move also aligns with Trump’s 2025 policy platform, which pledges to defund DEI bureaucracies, end gender ideology in schools, and restore merit-based standards in government.
🧨 Critics Say “DEI Cuts Will Hurt Vulnerable Communities”
Not everyone is cheering.
Civil rights advocates argue that scrapping DEI programs could lead to renewed disparities in education, hiring, and community safety — especially for students of color, LGBTQ+ youth, and Native American populations.
In South Dakota, the Education Department recently withdrew from a plan to address discipline disparities affecting Native American students, citing its basis in DEI frameworks. The decision drew criticism from tribal leaders and parents who said it ignored systemic inequities in local schools.
“We’re not asking for ideology. We’re asking for fairness,” said Mary Iron Cloud, a Lakota education advocate.
“When you strip away DEI, you strip away accountability for communities that have been ignored for generations.”
Still, supporters of the rollback insist that equity cannot come at the cost of national unity or federal overreach.
“America is built on individual freedom and equality under the law — not equality of outcomes,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
“DEI has become a political religion, and it’s time to separate church and state.”
⚖️ Supreme Court Ruling Adds Fuel to the Fire
The DHS announcement came just hours after another bombshell headline — a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Democrat-favored organization’s lawsuit tied to DEI mandates in higher education funding.
The Court’s 6–3 conservative majority ruled that federal agencies cannot impose ideological compliance as a condition for receiving grants, a decision that legal experts say will reshape federal funding practices for years to come.
Combined, the two events — the Noem cancellations and the Supreme Court ruling — represent a major turning point in the nationwide battle over DEI.
Progressives see it as a rollback of progress. Conservatives see it as the restoration of common sense.
🏁 What Happens Next
With two high-profile programs gone, DHS sources confirm that more reviews are underway. Other education-related contracts issued under the Biden-era DHS and Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights are expected to face scrutiny in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, advocacy groups are preparing legal challenges and media campaigns to rally public support for reinstating DEI initiatives.
But for now, the message from Washington is clear:
“The era of woke bureaucracies is ending,” one DHS insider said.
“America’s government is returning to its core purpose — serving the people, not lecturing them.”
