WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: The US Flag flies above a sign marking the US Department of Justice (DOJ) headquarters building on January 20, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by J. David Ake/Getty Images)
Washington D.C. – The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is facing unprecedented upheaval, with around 250 attorneys—roughly 70% of its legal staff—having departed or planning to leave by the end of May. The mass exodus comes amid sweeping changes imposed by the Trump administration, which is reshaping the division to focus on enforcing the president’s executive orders rather than its long-standing mission of combating discrimination.
The division, founded during the civil rights movement, has historically worked to uphold constitutional rights and fight discrimination in areas such as voting, housing, education, and employment. But the focus has shifted dramatically under the leadership of newly confirmed division chief Harmeet Dhillon.
Speaking at a Federalist Society event, Dhillon said previous Republican administrations merely slowed the “woke train,” whereas her goal is to “drive it in the opposite direction.” Her vision includes redirecting the division’s work toward issues like “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias,” and “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
The changes have stunned current and former staff. “The Civil Rights Division exists to enforce civil rights laws that protect all Americans,” said Stacey Young, a former DOJ attorney who left in January. “It’s not an arm of the White House.”
Critics say the administration is weaponizing the division’s authority to pursue partisan cultural agendas while abandoning protections for vulnerable groups. More than 30 investigations or legal actions related to voting rights, racial discrimination, and policing have already been dropped or withdrawn, according to public records.
The restructuring has led to morale collapse and widespread resignations across key sections, including voting rights, education, and special litigation. Attorneys have been reassigned to politically sensitive task forces, prompting more to quit or retire early.
Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago Law School professor, called the changes “the most dramatic backward turn that I’ve experienced in my lifetime,” warning that the division is being used “to wage an all-out assault on the civil rights of vulnerable people.”
Dhillon acknowledged the resignations, saying, “They need to pursue their passions elsewhere. That’s not going to be happening at the DOJ.”
Insiders describe a department in crisis, with attorneys reportedly in tears and expressing despair over the abandonment of their work. “Without the enforcement power of this division,” said Young, “we’re going to see a whole lot more unlawful discrimination.”
