From NPR · · 1m 50s
Civil rights chief Dhillon resigns after 18 months
Harmeet Dhillon, who radically reshaped the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to pursue Trump's agenda, has stepped down.
In brief
Harmeet Dhillon, who radically reshaped the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to pursue Trump's agenda, has stepped down. Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, resigned after eighteen months during which she pushed out roughly three hundred career attorneys and redirected…
Dhillon steps down after eighteen months
Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, has resigned. She served for eighteen tumultuous months during which she radically reshaped the unit's mission and oversaw a mass exodus of career staff.
Dhillon pushed out roughly three hundred attorneys
During her tenure, Dhillon implemented dramatic changes in the Civil Rights Division, pushing out roughly three hundred career attorneys and hiring inexperienced ideological allies to replace them.
Division shifted from protecting all Americans
The Civil Rights Division was created some seventy years ago during the civil rights movement to protect constitutional rights of all Americans. Dhillon redirected it to pursue conservative priorities and advance President Trump's agenda.
Dhillon pursued Trump's enforcement priorities
Under Dhillon's leadership, the division enforced Trump's executive orders, including ending alleged radical indoctrination in schools, defending women from gender ideology extremism, and combatting antisemitism and purported anti-Christian bias.
Voter fraud lawsuits failed in court
In the run-up to midterm elections, the Civil Rights Division sued dozens of states demanding they turn over voter information to further Trump's allegations of voter fraud.
Critics call her tenure destructive
Former division attorney Stacey Young said Dhillon was the most destructive head of the Civil Rights Division in history, wielding Justice Department power to threaten universities and officials in spurious cases that rarely won in…
“Harmeet Dhillon has been the most destructive, lawless, and hateful head of the Civil Rights Division in DOJ history.”
Dhillon planned exit after midterms
In an email to division staff, Dhillon said she informed Trump in early October that she planned to return to private practice after the midterms.
The essence
Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, resigned after eighteen months during which she pushed out roughly three hundred career attorneys and redirected the division to advance President Trump's policies.
