Over 100 Attorneys Depart U.S. Department of Justice

(MENAFN) Over 100 attorneys have recently exited the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division following a change in focus under the Trump administration, according to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.

In an interview, Dhillon explained that the division’s agenda has been restructured to align with President Trump’s priorities, which differ significantly from those of the Biden administration. “What we have made very clear last week in memos to each of the 11 sections in the Civil Rights Division is that our priorities under President Trump are going to be somewhat different than they were under (former) President Biden," she noted.

Dhillon, who was appointed to lead the division earlier this month, highlighted that the division's new focus would center on issues like antisemitism and the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports.

"We tell them, these are the President's priorities, this is what we will be focusing on -- govern yourself accordingly. And en masse, dozens and now over 100 attorneys decided that they'd rather not do what their job requires them to do,” she added.

While the mass departures may raise concerns, Dhillon expressed no objections. “We don’t want people in the federal government who feel like it’s their pet project to go persecute police departments based on statistical evidence or persecute people praying outside abortion facilities instead of doing violence,” she stated.

“The job here is to enforce the federal civil rights laws -- not woke ideology,” Dhillon emphasized.

Looking forward, Dhillon outlined plans to expand the division’s staff, particularly to support the administration’s legal battles, including its efforts against Harvard University. The department’s website notes that the Civil Rights Division, founded in 1957, enforces laws prohibiting discrimination based on a variety of factors such as race, color, sex, disability, and religion.

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