Civil Rights Groups Demand Congressional Oversight as Trump’s DOJ Abandons Civil Rights Mandate

June 19, 2025

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, along with more than 80 national organizations, has sent a letter to congressional leaders demanding oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The coalition accuses the division, now led by Trump appointee Harmeet Dhillon, of abandoning its mandate to protect civil rights in favor of advancing President Trump's political agenda. According to the letter, the division has dramatically shifted its mission statements to prioritize Trump's executive orders over federal civil rights laws, while approximately 70% of the division's legal staff have resigned or been reassigned.

Who is affected

Historically marginalized communities that civil rights laws were designed to protect
Recipients of federal funds who were previously protected by nondiscrimination enforcement
Career attorneys and staff of the Civil Rights Division (approximately 250 attorneys have resigned, taken deferred resignation, or been reassigned)
All Americans whose civil rights protections are being eroded according to the coalition

What action is being taken

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and 80+ organizations are sending a letter to congressional leaders demanding oversight
The DOJ's Civil Rights Division is shifting its mission statements to prioritize President Trump's executive orders
DOJ staff are being instructed to pursue investigations based on Trump's policies
Career officials are being reassigned or demoted while political appointees are taking over nonpartisan roles

Why it matters

The Civil Rights Division's mandate to enforce federal civil rights laws is being abandoned
Nearly 70% of the division's legal staff have left, creating a leadership vacuum that has "crippled enforcement capabilities"
Some sections, like the one ensuring nondiscrimination by federal fund recipients, are reportedly left without any attorneys
These changes could cause "irreparable harm" to civil rights protections for decades
The division was established to enforce key federal protections including the Voting Rights Act, Civil Rights Acts, and Americans with Disabilities Act

What's next

The organizations urge Congress to conduct oversight hearings
They call for Congress to launch investigations
They request Congress utilize all available tools to prevent further erosion of civil rights protections
The coalition demands a Civil Rights Division that "protects and advances the rights of all people in America"

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer