By — Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press By — Eric Tucker, Associated Press Eric Tucker, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/harmeet-dhillon-resigns-after-radical-reshape-of-justice-departments-civil-rights-division Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Harmeet Dhillon resigns after radical reshape of Justice Department's Civil Rights Division Politics Nov 6, 2026 12:32 PM EST WASHINGTON (AP) — Harmeet Dhillon, a conservative attorney who oversaw a radical reshaping of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, celebrated the mass departures of career lawyers and spearheaded sweeping investigations into elite universities, said Thursday that she had resigned from her post. Dhillon had been a powerful and divisive figure inside President Donald Trump's Justice Department since her confirmation last year as assistant attorney general, where she dramatically changed the direction of a division created during the country's Civil Rights Movement to protect the rights of minorities. "We ushered in the downfall of illegal DEI, we fought to protect women and girls' sports, and so much more," Dhillon said in a social media post announcing her departure, using the…
Harmeet Dhillon resigns after radical reshape of Justice Department's Civil Rights Division
In short
Confirmed under President Donald Trump, Harmeet Dhillon fundamentally shifted the Civil Rights Division's enforcement priorities toward opposing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and protecting female sports. Her office simultaneously halted ongoing police reform settlements while targeting elite universities over alleged bias against white applicants and campus antisemitism. Although Attorney General Todd Blanche commended her defense of civil liberties, former officials accused her of dismantling the core institutional mission. Prior to her federal appointment, she established a national profile in California by legally challenging pandemic stay-at-home mandates.
Key points
- The Civil Rights Division experienced a fundamental pivot away from historic minority rig…: The Civil Rights Division experienced a fundamental pivot away from historic minority rights enforcement toward opposing diversity initiatives.
- Severe institutional friction emerged as alumni leadership denounced her management as th…: Severe institutional friction emerged as alumni leadership denounced her management as the most destructive in the agency's history.
- Administration leadership, including Attorney General Todd Blanche, strongly supported he…: Administration leadership, including Attorney General Todd Blanche, strongly supported her controversial leadership and defense of civil liberties.