The Department of Justice, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, has instructed the civil rights division to freeze all new cases and investigations. This move has been met with criticism from civil rights groups, who fear that it will lead to a rollback of progress made in recent years.
The freeze on new cases and investigations was announced in a memo sent by the chief of staff to the attorney general. The memo instructs the temporary head of the department to ensure that civil rights attorneys do not file any new complaints, motions to intervene, agreed-upon remands, amicus briefs, or statements of interest.
The freeze is reportedly being implemented so that Trump appointees can decide whether or not they want to initiate any new cases. The memo also states that the government should "speak with one voice in its view of the law."
A second memo was sent ordering the department to freeze activity involving consent decrees and notify the chief of staff of any finalized within the last 90 days. Consent decrees are agreements between local governments and the DoJ to address police reform. Cities such as Minneapolis, Louisville, and Memphis are part of it.
The memo states that the new administration may wish to reconsider settlements and consent decrees negotiated and approved during the prior administration. This could interfere with agreements reached with Louisville after the police killing of Breonna Taylor or in Minneapolis after the murder of George Floyd. Neither agreement has received final approval from a federal judge.
The civil rights division of the DoJ often sees the most dramatic change in priorities between Republican and Democrat administrations. Stacey Young, a trial attorney for the civil rights division, told Politico in November that "many federal employees" are "terrified" that they will be replaced with Trump loyalists.
Trump has tapped Harmeet Dhillon, a conservative lawyer from California, to lead the civil rights division. Dhillon has filed a series of lawsuits against gender-affirming healthcare and policies intended to protect LGBT+ people.
a Justice Department that was created to protect civil rights literally abdicating its duty and responsibility to protect Americans from all forms of discrimination.
6 Comments
Rotfront
Freezing new cases is a blatant disregard for civil rights! This will set us back years!
Matzomaster
This is a strategic freeze. The previous administration's actions weren't perfect, and a change in pace can lead to better outcomes.
Karamba
Let’s give Harmeet Dhillon a chance. Fresh ideas can lead to new progress in civil rights.
Matzomaster
Stacey Young's comments feel exaggerated. Every administration has to make tough calls, and this is part of it.
Karamba
Changing leadership doesn't mean we're automatically going backward. Criticism should be based on actual outcomes, not baseless fear.
Rotfront
It's common for new administrations to want to reassess strategies. This is standard procedure, not a civil rights rollback.