Harmeet Dhillon resigned Thursday as head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, according to reports, becoming the first of several expected departures as the Trump administration prepares for a possible “blue wave” in both chambers of Congress. Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the news on social media and commended Dhillon’s 18-month tenure at the DOJ. “She has defended the civil liberties of every American and enforced the law without fear or favor,” Blanche said. Dhillon, a former Republican Party official and attorney who represented President Donald Trump’s campaign, was chosen by Trump for the position after his 2024 election victory.
During her time at the DOJ, Dhillon redirected the civil rights division’s priorities away from protecting vulnerable communities and toward conservative causes. She also oversaw the departure of more than three-quarters of the division’s lawyers. After her resignation became public, Dhillon said she had submitted it roughly three weeks before the election and had not been asked to leave. “Susie Wiles asked me to please wait until after the midterms,” Trump’s White House chief of staff, Dhillon told Fox News.
CHECK THIS OUT: Learjet Engine Parts Recovered From Wreckage After Plane Crash
Dhillon heads back to her private law firm
Dhillon is set to return to her California-based firm, Dhillon Law Group. Her brother, Mandeep Singh Dhillon, has managed the practice since she joined the Justice Department. In a statement to the Daily Mail on Thursday, a group of former DOJ officials accused Dhillon of having “decimated” the civil rights division’s more than 70-year mandate.
“Harmeet Dhillon has been the most destructive, lawless, and hateful head of the Civil Rights Division in DOJ history,” said Stacey Young, executive director of the Justice Connection, on Thursday. Meanwhile, Kalshi, the online prediction market, is accepting wagers on which administration official could depart next.
