Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who led the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights division, stepped down on Thursday, marking the first high‑ranking resignation from the Trump administration since the 2024 midterm elections. The move comes as the administration faces a wave of congressional investigations into immigration enforcement and the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Dhillon’s departure on X, praising her for defending civil liberties and enforcing the law “without fear or favor.” Dhillon, confirmed in April 2025, had overseen a sweeping overhaul of the civil rights division, a unit charged with enforcing anti‑discrimination laws. Her resignation follows a December letter from former Justice Department officials that criticized the division’s “destruction” under the Trump administration.
Dhillon’s tenure was marked by controversy. Earlier this year she reportedly told her staff that the division would not investigate the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by ICE agents in Minneapolis. The decision was seen by some as a refusal to hold law‑enforcement officers accountable.
Congressional oversight is intensifying. Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, poised to chair the House Oversight Committee, has pledged to launch investigations into ICE abuses and the Epstein files. Garcia has accused the administration of shielding former President Trump from scrutiny over unreleased documents related to Epstein.
During a closed‑door hearing, lawmakers questioned former Attorney General Pam Bondi about the Epstein case. Garcia alleged that Dhillon repeatedly intervened to block questions about the president’s involvement in the release of the files. The Justice Department has not yet confirmed the exact date of Dhillon’s resignation, and the White House has not responded to requests for comment.
Source: Al Jazeera
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