Harmeet Dhillon Reshapes DOJ Civil Rights Division Workforce

The US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division has undergone major changes under Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who has shifted its priorities, replaced much of its staff and redirected enforcement efforts toward issues emphasized by the Trump administration.

According to NPR, more than 300 attorneys have left the division since early 2025, while the Justice Department has hired about 130 replacements. Current and former officials said the departures reduced institutional experience in a unit that historically handled voting, housing, employment, education and policing cases.

Dhillon has defended the changes, saying the division should enforce civil rights laws broadly rather than follow what she described as a narrower approach. In a statement to NPR, she said, "Under this administration, the division has held universities accountable for antisemitic harassment, defended the constitutional rights of Americans of every faith, and protected the integrity of federal elections," according to the report.

She also said, "Civil rights laws exist to protect individuals from discrimination, and that is exactly how we enforce them. Critics calling equal enforcement 'weaponization' are telling on themselves." The division has pursued cases involving universities, election procedures and allegations of discrimination against different groups.

Voting enforcement has become one of the division's most active areas. NPR reported that the Justice Department sent election monitors to several states and filed lawsuits seeking voter information, while some state officials challenged those actions as excessive federal intervention.

Dhillon previously criticized the division's former direction. In an interview with Glenn Beck, she said, "The job here is to enforce the federal civil rights laws, not woke ideology," according to NPR.

The staffing changes have also drawn scrutiny. Former officials told NPR that some 300 attorneys departed, while new hires included lawyers with varied professional backgrounds. The New York Times reported that some recent recruits had histories of controversial public statements or professional records that would previously have raised concerns.

Dhillon defended the recruitment effort, saying, "For years, the civil rights division recruited from a narrow pipeline of progressive activists and called it excellence," according to the report. She added that new lawyers have "the experience this division needs to enforce civil rights laws for every American."

The division has not changed all of its work equally. NPR reported that sections focused on housing and disability rights have continued traditional enforcement activities, including a lawsuit involving access for passengers with service animals or wheelchairs.