DOJ Civil Rights Division Sees Mass Exodus Under New Trump-Appointed Leadership

Washington D.C. – The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division is experiencing a significant departure of attorneys, with reports indicating that approximately 70% to 75% of its lawyers have left or are planning to leave since April 2025. This mass exodus coincides with the assumption of leadership by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, a Donald Trump appointee confirmed by the Senate earlier this year.

The departures stem from a dramatic shift in the division's priorities under Dhillon's direction. Dhillon, who was nominated by President Trump in December 2024 and confirmed in April 2025, has stated her intention to make a "180-degree turn" from previous administrations' focus. Her vision for the division emphasizes combating "woke ideology," "gender ideology extremism," and "anti-Christian bias," while de-emphasizing traditional civil rights enforcement areas such as voting rights, police misconduct, and employment discrimination.

This development contrasts sharply with recent social media claims. For instance, a tweet by Rod D. Martin on August 20, 2025, stated: > "🚨 BREAKING: 75% of Biden’s DOJ Civil Rights lawyers are GONE. Harmeet Dhillon just confirmed that since January, she’s gutted the swamp inside the DOJ—and is now rebuilding it for REAL law enforcement. This is what draining the swamp looks like. 🧵"

However, official records and news reports confirm that Harmeet Dhillon is a Trump administration appointee and has no affiliation with the Biden Department of Justice. The significant staff turnover is occurring under her leadership within the new Trump administration, reflecting a strategic realignment of the division's mission. Dhillon herself acknowledged the departures in a recent interview, stating, "We don't want people in the federal government who feel like it's their pet project to go persecute, you know, police departments based on statistical evidence or persecute people praying outside abortion facilities instead of doing violence. That's not the job here."

Critics and former division officials have expressed concerns that this shift deviates from the division's historical mandate to protect the civil rights of all Americans. The changes include the dropping of investigations and withdrawal of legal stances in cases related to voting rights and alleged racial discrimination. The division's new mission statements for its 11 sections now include objectives like "Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation" and "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports."