Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon reported that about 75% of the staff in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has left since her appointment. This change is attributed to a shift in enforcement goals and a federal retirement offering, as discussed during her segment on – News Sunday.
Earlier this year, Dhillon took her oath of office and mentioned that approximately 200 of the division’s over 400 attorneys opted for a government-wide retirement package just two weeks later. In the following months, an additional 100 lawyers departed, reducing the division’s staff by “75 percent.” Dhillon stated that efforts are now underway to recruit attorneys aligned with the legislative and judicial interpretations of law.
She pointed out that the division is moving away from what she termed as “politics of racial spoils and woke ideology,” focusing instead on enforcing existing laws in diverse fields. These areas include policies on university admissions, employment discrimination cases for federal contractors and grant recipients, protections for service members and their dependents, and statutes regarding workplace rights for U.S. citizens in comparison to foreign workers.
Dhillon underscored the department’s heightened engagement in religious liberty cases, such as those opposing vaccine mandates, addressing Catholic confessional privilege in Washington State, and enforcing the FACE Act to both protect congregants in worship sites and protesters.
In terms of election laws, Dhillon asserted that the Civil Rights Division communicated with Texas regarding redistricting issues under the Voting Rights Act. She mentioned that recent Fifth Circuit case law restricted the application of “coalition districts,” impacting Texas’s decision to amend its maps.
Commenting on university unrest following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel, Dhillon emphasized the DOJ’s swift actions to probe antisemitism in educational institutions, which has frequently led to a suspension or withdrawal of federal funds. She informed – News that these efforts form a segment of an “all of government” strategy endorsed by the White House.
While defending free speech protections, Dhillon underscored her office’s distinction between constitutionally protected expression and conduct that denies students access to education or violates civil rights. “You can criticize Israel. It’s absolutely appropriate to do that. It’s a free country,” she remarked. “But you can’t interfere with another person’s access to their education or their own liberty.”
Asked about the broader civil rights challenges facing the country, Dhillon pointed to what she described as a culture of self-censorship in workplaces, schools, and public life. “Most people in America feel like they have to lie throughout the day to get by,” she observed, calling for more citizens to speak openly and defend their rights.
Looking ahead, Dhillon added the division plans to expand as new hires are brought in. “We have tons of resumes,” she commented, “and as that hiring authority trickles through … we will be staffing up.”
Listen:
