Congressional Black Caucus and Civil Rights Leaders Unite to Counter Trump Administration’s Agenda

February 13, 2026

The Congressional Black Caucus and major civil rights organizations launched a coordinated national mobilization effort during Black History Month to counter Trump administration policies they view as threatening civil rights protections for minority communities. The groups held strategy sessions on Capitol Hill to coordinate responses across issues including voting access, education, healthcare, immigration, and anti-discrimination policy, with particular concern about potential federal interference in midterm elections and anticipated Supreme Court decisions on the Voting Rights Act. While civil rights leaders and Democratic lawmakers have already filed numerous lawsuits challenging the administration's anti-DEI executive orders and policies, they acknowledge being largely on the defensive given Republican control of both congressional chambers.

Who is affected

Minority communities, particularly Black communities
Congressional Black Caucus members
Major civil rights organizations (Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Urban League)
Democratic lawmakers and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Voters concerned about ballot access in midterm elections
Schools, colleges, and educational institutions subject to DEI policy changes
Government agencies, major companies, nonprofit groups, and state governments interacting with federal government
Democratic attorneys general from fourteen states and the District of Columbia
White people who may be subjects of civil rights discrimination investigations by the Justice Department and EEOC

What action is being taken

The Congressional Black Caucus and civil rights groups are holding meetings on Capitol Hill to coordinate outreach strategies and policy platforms
Civil rights leaders and Democratic lawmakers have filed dozens of lawsuits against the administration's anti-DEI policies
A partnership of civil rights groups and Democratic attorneys general from fourteen states and D.C. is launching inquiries and filing lawsuits to promote DEI and accessibility policies
The Trump administration is conducting investigations and prosecuting civil rights cases of potential discrimination against white people through the Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Why it matters

This represents a major confrontation over the future of civil rights protections and anti-discrimination policies in the United States. The Trump administration's systematic rollback of DEI initiatives across government, education, and the private sector—combined with its efforts to redefine how history is taught—threatens decades of progress on racial equity and minority community protections. The mobilization is particularly significant because it reflects civil rights leaders' concerns that tools originally built to protect Black communities from discrimination are being repurposed to challenge those very protections. With Democrats locked out of congressional power and facing an increasingly conservative federal judiciary, the outcome of this battle will likely shape civil rights policy and enforcement for years to come, potentially affecting everything from voting access to employment practices to educational curricula.

What's next

Activists and lawmakers are coordinating strategies to protect voters' access to the ballot in upcoming midterm elections from potential federal intervention
Civil rights leaders are preparing responses to an anticipated Supreme Court ruling that may strike down a pivotal section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries indicated that mass protests, organizing boycotts, and further legal action are potential steps that allies may take
The partnership of civil rights groups and Democratic attorneys general plans to launch inquiries and file lawsuits across the country into instances where organizations may be violating anti-discrimination laws in response to DEI rollbacks

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint