Federal workers across US health agencies are fearful and on edge following the publication of their names and photos by a conservative group. The so-called DEI watchlist triggered alarm among civil servants as it gained traction amid President Donald Trump's efforts to purge the government of positions and programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Federal workers across US health agencies are fearful and on edge following the publication of their names and photos by a conservative group. The so-called DEI watchlist triggered alarm among civil servants as it gained traction amid President Donald Trump's efforts to purge the government of positions and programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The website, registered in November, initially described the workers as targets. However, it now displays dossiers for workers it claims have promoted such initiatives, most of whom are Black and women.

The group behind it, the nonprofit American Accountability Foundation, says it plans to add another 40 names on Tuesday. One federal worker profiled by the site said they were concerned for their safety when a colleague alerted them to the list and its tipline. First, it was a little bit of fear, the person, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told AFP. Is my life about to change forever? Then, I think it turned into a bit of anger.

Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said he felt dismayed to see the website named mostly people of color not major policymakers. He said the use of photos was especially troubling and likened it to the harassment faced by Ruby Freeman, Georgia elections worker falsely accused of fraud in 2020 who later received millions of dollars after filing defamation lawsuits. People have done this kind of doxxing before, and it puts people at physical risk.

Each worker's page contains their name, photo, job title, and other publicly available information under the headline A quick summary of DEI offenses. Those offenses include donating to Democrats and using pronouns online. They also include posting or interacting with messages supportive of Black Lives Matter or critical of Trump. One person's dossier highlights how she liked a LinkedIn post from a connection who contributed to a book on race.

The federal worker who spoke to AFP said many people featured on the website focus on issues of health equity, such as offering mobile health screenings in low-income neighborhoods. The American Accountability Foundation has previously published lists of workers at other agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, where it identified officials it accused of hindering efforts to secure the border.

Spokesperson Yitz Friedman rejected concerns that the new DEI watchlist could endanger workers as a false premise, saying the fears are based on a hypothetical. However, the federal worker who spoke to AFP said they heard that some others on the list had pizzas anonymously delivered to their homes last week. An act the person described as a message to say, 'We know where you live.'

More than a dozen of the workers named appear to have deleted their LinkedIn profiles. One wrote on Twitter that they were removing it for safety reasons. Another said they were afraid for their family's safety. The FBI has also been contacted, they said. We are even more dedicated now to staying in our jobs and fighting back, the person said, adding that the DEI watchlist is creating our class-action lawsuit for us.

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