Harmeet Dhillon, head of the US Justice Department's civil rights division, has reportedly threatened to resign unless President Trump promotes her or an ally of her choosing to the role of deputy attorney general, according to a New York Times investigation. The report also details a bitter internal feud between Dhillon and Leo Terrell, a fellow Trump loyalist who leads the DOJ's Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, highlighting deep divisions within the department's leadership as Dhillon seeks career advancement following Todd Blanche's recent promotion.

The dispute has seen Terrell repeatedly complain to senior DOJ officials, including former Attorney General Pam Bondi, about alleged mistreatment by Dhillon, whom he accuses of trying to sideline him partly out of jealousy over his media appearances. The pair have reportedly not spoken since the previous summer, with tensions worsened by a disagreement over negotiations with Columbia University. In one notable episode, a member of Terrell's staff was questioned by a Dhillon-aligned official over whether Terrell had ever asked her to follow him into a bathroom to take notes, after an earlier attempt to remove her from his team was blocked when Terrell appealed directly to Trump. The Justice Department has not responded to requests for comment.