Washington DC - As part of its crackdown on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies, President Donald Trump's administration has dismantled an explicit ban on "segregated facilities" for federal contractors.

The ban explicitly banned all federal contractors from having segregated facilities, including waiting rooms, water fountains, and eating areas.

A memo was issued by the US General Services Administration (GSA) last month dismantling the ban, but was not unearthed by the media until NPR obtained the memo and published it on Tuesday.

The memo addresses a 1965 executive order by President Lyndon B. Johnson requiring nondiscrimination for federal contractors – specifically, a clause in the Federal Acquisition Regulation titled "Prohibition of Segregated Facilities."

Donald Trump Trump says he's in "very good shape" after first physical exam of second term

While segregation is still outlawed at the state and federal level, the move raised serious concerns for legal experts.

"It's symbolic, but it's incredibly meaningful in its symbolism," New York University constitutional law professor Melissa Murray told NPR.

"These provisions were all part of the federal government's efforts to facilitate the settlement that led to integration in the 1950s and 1960s."

"The fact that they are now excluding those provisions from the requirements for federal contractors, I think, speaks volumes."