The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is undergoing significant policy changes as Donald Trump begins his second presidential term. These changes reflect broader shifts in the administration’s approach to civil rights enforcement and cultural issues.
The transition is marked by immediate action, with the department issuing a memo freezing civil rights cases and withdrawing from multiple Biden-era cases. Personnel changes include reassigning top appellate section officials to a new task force focused on sanctuary cities immigration enforcement.
Trump has nominated Harmeet Dhillon, 56, to lead the Civil Rights Division. A California lawyer, Dhillon has previously challenged the 2020 election results and opposed state laws protecting gender-affirming surgery providers. While some former officials express concerns about her focus on “cultural grievance issues,” others praise the administration’s decisive approach to implementing campaign promises.
Key policy changes include:
The elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives through executive order, with directions to target private-sector programs that could constitute “illegal discrimination.”
Expect new guidance on transgender rights, particularly affecting workplace protections and student athletics. The administration aims to reinterpret the Supreme Court’s Bostock ruling on workplace discrimination.
Shifts in voting rights enforcement, with the department withdrawing from a Virginia voter roll purge case and potentially dismissing other Voting Rights Act cases.
Changes in reproductive health clinic access enforcement, with the dismissal of civil cases against anti-abortion protesters in Florida and Pennsylvania.
Jesse Panuccio, a former Trump administration official, notes the administration’s aggressive approach: “They aren’t going to pull any punches this time around, and I think they’re going to make sure the Civil Rights Division is consistent with the president’s priorities.”
The scale of these policy reversals may exceed previous administrative transitions, representing a significant departure from Biden-era civil rights enforcement priorities.
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