US State Department ends assignment restrictions that were perceived as discriminatory

The United States State Department will no longer release task constraints as a condition of giving security clearance, Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed to the department’s labor force on Wednesday in a memo acquired by CNN.

The modification follows an extensive evaluation of the practice, which was viewed as prejudiced by diplomats and Democratic legislators, especially since the limitations appeared to fall disproportionately on staff members with Asian American and Pacific Islander backgrounds.

The task constraints were used by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, in some cases to staff members who otherwise hold top-secret clearances, to avoid them from serving in specific nations or perhaps, while they remain in Washington, from dealing with concerns associated with those nations.

In 2021, CNN reported that diplomats felt disappointed that they felt untrusted by their own federal government. Legislators likewise highlighted the problem that there was no independent appeals procedure to challenge choices. Democratic legislators presented legislation in 2021 to resolve the enduring grievances.

Politico was very first to report the modifications to the task constraints.

Blinken stated the modification followed he had actually raised over half of the constraints throughout his very first year as secretary of state, which opened “brand-new possible tasks” for numerous United States diplomats.

” Today, I’m happy to share that after an extensive evaluation, I have actually chosen that, progressing, the Department will end its practice of providing brand-new task constraints as a condition put on a security clearance,” he composed to the labor force.

There will be an evaluation and appeal procedure presented for those who go through the task constraints presently, he stated. However some constraints will stay in location, such as those that associate with a circumstance “in which a foreign nation might think about a worker to be among their own nationals” or when there are “tasks to posts ranked important for human intelligence risks,” Blinken described.