What are those artificial barriers? And how do they remove those biases?

How? Meritocracy means only qualification matters. There’s no Q in DEI but a too much other letters.

DEI programs are what let the best person for the job be hired

That’s called meritocracy not DEI though.

Make stronger colorblind policies and enforce them

Any suggestion of such policies and ways to enforce them?

HR had their diversity goals

anti DEI folk dance around is simply “But we want to discriminate!”

Did I read you wrong or weren’t those DEI HR folks actually discriminating?