DOJ’s Civil Rights Division Sparks Mass Departure After Priority Shifts

Over 100 attorneys from the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division have resigned after imposed reformations by the Trump administration. 

The Details: Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Harmeet Dhillon, said the division's focus will differ from those “notorious” under former President Biden. Dhillon emphasized Second Amendment freedoms, enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, and policing of antisemitism and anti-Christian incidents as updated priorities. Following the announcement of the shift, over 100 attorneys chose to resign from their positions.

Dhillon’s Comments: “We have changed the priorities, not the mission, the priorities, in each of the sections in the Civil Rights Division,” Dhillon said in an interview with Daily Caller (Right bias). “Some personnel here have decided that they’d rather make their careers elsewhere.” She asserted, “We’re required to enforce the federal civil rights laws. So all of that is going to continue to be done under the Civil Rights Division… but the emphasis is going to be different… It’s going to be examining wrongdoing or alleged wrongdoing and determining quickly whether it occurred or not. If it does, we’ll go after it. If it doesn’t, we’ll move on.”

How the Media Covered It: ABC News (Lean Left) focused on the “mass exodus” of attorneys and the shift in priorities from traditional civil rights issues to “culture war” issues. Daily Caller gave voice to Dhillon and her specific plans for the division in an exclusive interview, but it did little to highlight the oppositional position. The Hill (Center) delved into an analysis of the shift’s context, giving voice to both supporters and opponents.

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