Department of Interior Calls Back Employees Placed on Administrative Leave

The Department of Interior placed about three dozen employees on paid administrative leave for more than a year, then returned them to duty. According to numerous reports, the employees had been placed on leave in February 2025 due to their work associated with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) issues. Around March 2026, they received a memorandum indicating that they had been reassigned to the Department of Interior's headquarters as part of an effort to centralize administrative functions. The recall memorandum, which is not public, lifted their administrative leave status and directed them to return to work.