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Harmeet Dhillon resigns after radical reshape of Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division
Harmeet Dhillon has resigned as head of the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, after overseeing a major shift in its priorities under President Donald Trump. Her departure follows a period marked by mass staff departures and investigations into universities, prompting sharp disagreement over whether the division was advancing civil rights or abandoning its traditional mission.
Dhillon said she had decided weeks earlier to return to private practice and stayed until after the midterm elections at the White House’s request. More than three quarters of the division’s workforce at the start of Trump’s second term have since left. Under her leadership, the division ended some police reform work, investigated universities over diversity policies and campus antisemitism, and pressed states for voter records; former officials praised her approach while others condemned it.
In short
- Harmeet Dhillon has resigned from the Justice Department.
- More than three quarters of the division’s workforce have left.
- Her tenure brought major changes and fierce criticism.
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The case for
Supporters could argue Dhillon redirected the division towards concerns they believe had been neglected, including antisemitism on campus and the fairness of diversity policies. They may see ending some police reform work and seeking voter records as a legitimate change in enforcement priorities under an elected administration, while her supporters among former officials praised her approach.
The case against
Critics could argue the division’s traditional mission includes addressing systemic discrimination and police misconduct, and that ending reform work while investigating universities over diversity policies weakened that role. They may also see the extensive staff departures and requests for voter records as signs that expertise and institutional independence were being eroded, rather than a balanced reprioritisation.