Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: No new date or venue has been set for the meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff, and no negotiations will take place until the outcome is guaranteed
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted

Exodus of attorneys jeopardizes DOJ Civil Rights Division

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 1 May 2025 23:01
4 Min Read

Over 250 attorneys have departed the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division under new leadership, triggering a crisis in civil rights enforcement.

Listen
  • x
  • The Department of Justice seals is seen during a news conference at the DOJ office in Washington, May 16, 2023 (AP)
    The Department of Justice seal is seen during a news conference at the DOJ office in Washington, May 16, 2023. (AP)

More than 250 attorneys have exited the US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division since January, marking what many insiders describe as an unprecedented crisis.

According to estimates provided to The Guardian by sources familiar with the matter, most of these departures stem from mass resignations, deferred exit offers, or reassignments following a dramatic restructuring of the division under new leadership.

In the division’s civil enforcement sections alone, approximately 235 attorneys have either accepted deferred resignation offers or quit altogether, while an additional 20 have been reassigned to unrelated duties such as handling public records requests or internal complaints.

These sections, considered the operational core of the division, had around 365 attorneys at the start of 2024. By the April 28 deadline for accepting exit offers, that number had dwindled to just over 100.

Harmeet Dhillon's restructuring, political influence

The dramatic exodus coincides with the appointment of Harmeet Dhillon, a close ally of Donald Trump, who assumed leadership of the division in April.

Dhillon has openly articulated her intention to redirect the division’s priorities, focusing on issues such as alleged voter fraud, perceived anti-white discrimination in college admissions, and limiting protections for transgender individuals, objectives that represent a stark departure from the division’s traditional focus.

During an April 26 appearance on a podcast with Glenn Beck, Dhillon stated that she supported the departure of more than 100 attorneys, framing it as a necessary realignment, emphasizing that “the job here is to enforce the federal civil rights laws, not woke ideology."

Related News

Senate blames Secret Service failures for Trump assassination attempt

South Korea warns US chip tariffs threaten economy, global supply

Later, she took to X to reiterate her stance, stating: “Personnel is policy.”

Justice Department politicized?

Critics argue that these changes reflect a politicization of the Justice Department, with Stacey Young, a former civil rights division attorney and founder of Justice Connection, calling Dhillon’s tone "sadistic" and accusing the leadership of deliberately purging career public servants.

“They made a concerted effort to purge dedicated career civil servants at the Civil Rights Division. And slamming them for leaving is cruel,” she told The Guardian.

Sources inside the department say staff were not simply leaving by choice, they were pushed out. Many were informed that refusal to accept the deferred resignation could result in being laid off. The implicit message says: if attorneys did not align with the administration's policy agenda, they had no future in the division.

Institutional impact, attorney testimonies

The consequences of this civil rights division attorney exodus are already being felt across multiple key enforcement areas. Teams that once included dozens of attorneys working on voting rights, educational access, employment discrimination, and federal compliance have been reduced to skeleton crews.

Some sections, such as the federal coordination and compliance unit responsible for enforcing Title VI protections in federally funded programs, have no remaining permanent attorneys.

Former and current DOJ officials warn that these staffing losses have crippled the division’s ability to enforce the civil rights statutes passed by Congress. “The federal government’s capacity to enforce civil rights protections across voting, education, housing, disability rights, and police accountability have been severely compromised,” said Chirag Bains, a former prosecutor and appointee in the division.

Omar Noureldin, another former appointee, emphasized that institutional knowledge vital in handling complex investigations such as housing discrimination or sexual harassment cannot be replaced overnight.

“This kind of expertise isn’t taught in law school,” he explained. “Without deep experience, lawyers may either pursue weak cases or mishandle winnable ones.”

Even historically nonpartisan career roles may be at risk of politicization, Bains suggested, expressing concern that the administration might attempt to fill these vacant posts with individuals loyal to Trump.

“I fully expect them to hire loyalists into these career roles,” he said. “We’re probably going to see some extremely bad lawyering in the department if that’s what they do.”

  • United States
  • US Department of Justice
  • Harmeet Dhillon
  • federal workers
  • Donald Trump

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS