Harmeet Dhillon Resigns as Head of DOJ Civil Rights Division

Harmeet Dhillon has resigned as Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division after leading a sweeping overhaul of the unit.

Resignation and Reaction

Dhillon resigned on Thursday, two days after the midterm elections in which Republicans suffered sweeping losses. In a resignation letter and a post on X, she said serving as the division's chief was an honor.

"We ushered in the downfall of illegal DEI, we fought to protect women and girls' sports, and so much more," she wrote on X. "I want to thank President Trump for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to what's next!"

Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the resignation on X, writing that Dhillon "has defended the civil liberties of every American and enforced the law without fear or favor." A White House spokesperson said Dhillon did "a fantastic job ... boldly protecting Americans' civil liberties."

Changes to the Division

During her tenure, Dhillon radically reshaped the Civil Rights Division's mission. Many career civil rights attorneys left the department after she took over and demanded an ideological shift in the work. The division dropped police reform cases and pursued investigations of universities and voter records.

Dhillon focused on targeting universities accused of discriminating against white and Asian students, attacking policies protecting transgender students and athletes, and launching a nationwide effort to obtain state voter rolls to root out alleged noncitizen voters. Out of dozens of lawsuits demanding states turn over their voter rolls, she had zero wins.

Critics, including former Obama-era Civil Rights Division head Vanita Gupta, said Dhillon used the division against the communities it was founded to protect. Stacey Young of Justice Connection called Dhillon "the most destructive, lawless, and hateful head of the Civil Rights Division in DOJ history."

Background

Dhillon, a California attorney and conservative figure, was confirmed as assistant attorney general last year. Before her appointment, she made a name for herself in California by attacking transgender rights and challenging COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and voting rights initiatives. A spokesperson said she is returning to her firm, the Dhillon Law Group.

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Sources

• latimes.com: Harmeet Dhillon, California attorney who radically reshaped DOJ civil rights unit, resigns - Los Angeles Times
• wvtf.org: Head of Justice Department office on Civil Rights resigns | WVTF
• thedailyreview.com: Harmeet Dhillon exits after radical overhaul of Justice Department's Civil Rights Division | Ap | thedailyreview.com

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.