NASA sacks Indian-origin DEI chief Neela Rajendra following Trump’s executive order

Rajendra's removal comes after weeks of internal efforts at NASA to retain her by rebranding her role

Washington: Neela Rajendra, the Indian-origin head of NASA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, has been officially dismissed from her position in compliance with US President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order aimed at dismantling DEI initiatives across all federal agencies.

Rajendra’s removal comes after weeks of internal efforts at NASA to retain her by rebranding her role. In March, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) reassigned her as the head of a newly-created department, the “Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success,” in a move widely seen as an attempt to shield her from the implications of the executive directive.

---

While her title changed, her core responsibilities, overseeing employee support programs and managing affinity groups like the “Black Excellence Strategic Team,” remained largely the same.

However, the Trump administration’s renewed crackdown on DEI programs earlier this month led to her dismissal, despite NASA’s attempts to preserve her position under a new title.

An internal email circulated at JPL last week confirmed her departure, stating, “Neela Rajendra is no longer working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We are incredibly grateful for the lasting impact she made to our organisation. We wish her the very best.” The message, reportedly sent by JPL Director Laurie Leshin, marked the end of Rajendra’s years-long tenure at the space agency.

Previously, Rajendra had played a leading role in initiatives like the ‘Space Workforce 2030’ pledge, which sought to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in NASA’s workforce. Her exit is part of a broader federal purge, which has already seen hundreds of DEI-related positions cut across government departments.

President Trump’s executive order argues that DEI initiatives promote division, misuse public funds, and have contributed to discriminatory practices. NASA is now among several agencies that have shuttered their diversity offices entirely in response.