In an unprecedented exodus, nearly 70% of the lawyers in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division have either left or will leave by the end of May. This mass departure marks a significant shift for the division, which has been dedicated to combating discrimination and protecting constitutional rights since its inception during the civil rights movement. The Trump administration is redirecting the division’s focus from its traditional mission to enforce President Trump’s executive orders, prioritizing issues like alleged radical indoctrination in schools, gender ideology extremism, antisemitism, and anti-Christian bias.
The changes are being implemented by new head Harmeet Dhillon, a conservative attorney appointed by Trump. In a recent Federalist Society event, she likened the division’s work under Democratic administrations to a speeding train that needs to be slowed down and redirected in a different direction. Her vision is for the department to take up the cause of the executive branch, ensuring that civil rights laws benefit all Americans, not just a select few.
The administration has already started executing this 180-degree turn by dropping investigations, withdrawing statements of interest or amicus briefs in over 30 cases, and reassigning managers. The new mission statements for the division’s 11 sections push Trump’s priorities, redirecting resources to enforce his executive orders. These missions include “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias,” and “Additional Measures to Combat Antisemitism.”
The impact on the division is devastating. Former attorneys describe a sense of loss, with some walking around in tears or sobbing through meetings. The head of Justice Connection, Stacey Young, a former division attorney, stated that the division is being decimated and its traditional work destroyed. “The division right now is being decimated,” she said. “The head of the division and the Justice Department have decided that the division is going to enforce laws only with respect to favored communities of people.”
Professor Craig Futterman from the University of Chicago Law School agrees, saying that the changes underway are turning the Civil Rights Division on its head. The Trump administration is using a division meant to protect vulnerable populations to wage an all-out assault on their civil rights.
The mass exodus of attorneys has been particularly pronounced in certain sections like voting, education, and special litigation. While some have quit, others have taken the deferred resignation program or retired early. Dhillon acknowledged the departures, saying that those who have left should pursue their passions elsewhere, as they will not be happening at the DOJ.
In contrast to the first Trump term, when attorneys stayed put and continued their work, current and former officials say that the division is now weaponizing civil rights laws against the very populations it’s meant to protect. This abandonment of the traditional mission has been devastating, with one official recalling tears in the hallways and sobs through meetings.
As Stacey Young poignantly stated, “Without that enforcement, without the knowledge that unlawful discrimination can be tamped down through the division’s work, we’re going to see, I think, a whole lot more unlawful discrimination.” The future of the Civil Rights Division hangs in the balance as it navigates this unprecedented shift under the Trump administration.
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