Civil Rights Division Head Resigns After 18 Months

Harmeet Dhillon, who led the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division for 18 months, has resigned. This marks the first departure of a senior official from the Trump administration since Democrats regained control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections.

Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Dhillon's resignation on X, stating she had led the division with conviction and that the department was grateful for her service.

During her tenure, Dhillon significantly altered the Civil Rights Division, replacing approximately 300 attorneys with inexperienced ideological allies. She also used the division's enforcement powers to support President Trump's MAGA agenda.

The Civil Rights Division, established 70 years ago to protect constitutional rights, saw a dramatic shift under Dhillon. She redefined the division's mission, focusing on conservative priorities rather than broad civil rights protections.

Dhillon, a Trump loyalist, argued that the division had previously only protected the rights of people of color. She stated the division should actively pursue conservative goals, including combating what she called 'woke' ideologies.

Under her leadership, the division enforced Trump's executive orders, including efforts to address alleged school indoctrination, defend women against 'gender ideology extremism,' and combat antisemitism and anti-Christian bias.