Trump ally who headed Justice Department civil rights unit resigns

Harmeet Dhillon after testifying at a hearing of the Administration Committee of the House of Representatives, at the Capitol, in Washington, on May 11, 2023 — Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP

Dhillon is one of the first high-level departures from President Donald Trump's administration following the Republican Party's defeat in Tuesday's midterm elections, which saw Democrats regain majorities in the House and Senate.

Dhillon, a Trump ally, has led a sweeping overhaul of the Justice Department's civil rights division, shifting its focus from combating discrimination against racial minorities and investigating local police to Trump priorities such as gun rights and combating anti-Semitism on college campuses. She played a leading role in the Trump administration's investigations into elite US universities.

Dhillon previously told Bloomberg Law that he wanted to return to his law firm, the Dhillon Law Group, after leaving the Justice Department. The office had recently shrunk, as some lawyers left for other firms.

Two people familiar with the matter said Dhillon was frustrated about being passed over for promotions in the department and wanted to return to the office to revitalize it.

Dhillon's reshaping of the division's priorities led to an exodus of career staffers, which she celebrated publicly, arguing that the unit's lawyers pursued liberal priorities and were unwilling to implement Trump's agenda.

Under previous administrations, the unit conducted investigations into police departments accused of systematic civil rights violations, including after high-profile deaths of people of color by local police officers.