A US federal judge, Anthony Trenga, ruled on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s government can proceed with plans to dismiss dozens of officers from the CIA and other intelligence agencies who worked in DEI programmes.

Trenga noted that he might have reached a different decision if fairness and morality were the standards on which he had to rule.

But the law dictates otherwise, Trenga said.

“They had the misfortune of being last assigned to a DEI programme,” Trenga said, calling it a “difficult situation.”

Trenga had previously put the imminent dismissal of the intelligence officers on hold to hear arguments for and against the move.

The lawsuit was brought by 17 CIA officers and two employees with the ODNI, including the former head of the office.