Civil Rights Overhaul: A New Direction for Justice

The U.S. Justice Department is reassigning senior attorneys in its civil rights unit as the Trump administration shifts priorities. Changes include pausing police abuse probes and re-evaluating various civil rights protections. New mission statements and deferred resignations signify a transformative direction under Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.

The U.S. Justice Department is undergoing a significant transformation, with approximately a dozen senior career attorneys in its civil rights division being reassigned. This change comes as the division, under the Trump administration, shifts its focus away from historical priorities, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Several senior attorneys, previously working on cases involving police abuse, voting rights, and disability rights, have been directed to take on new roles amid a broader wave of reassignments and resignations that also affects attorneys involved in discrimination and voting rights cases. These shifts mark an organizational overhaul by Trump's appointee, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.

Established to safeguard civil rights following the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the division's responsibility has broadened over decades. Under Dhillon's leadership, however, the division has halted some police abuse investigations and introduced new priorities. Employees are being offered deferred resignation packages to explore opportunities elsewhere, and emails have laid out new mission statements to redefine division expectations.

(With inputs from agencies.)