US Justice Department reassigns about a dozen civil rights attorneys amid shakeup, say sources

Source: Reuters

US Justice Department reassigns about a dozen civil rights attorneys amid shakeup, say sources

Sarah N. Lynch and Dan Levine
Tue, April 22, 2025 at 7:27 PM EDT 3 min read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is reassigning about a dozen senior career attorneys from its civil rights unit, four people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump's administration steers the division away from its historic priorities.

At least three senior career attorneys -- nonpolitical employees who typically remain in their jobs from administration to administration -- who managed offices that investigated abuse by police and handled violations of voting and disability rights, have been ordered to take other assignments, said three of the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss moves that had not been made public.

The changes are part of a wave of reassignments and resignations affecting at least another nine attorneys, including people who worked on probes of employment or educational discrimination, abuses inside correctional facilities, and voting rights cases, the people said.

Founded in 1957 following the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the division initially focused on protecting the voting rights of Black Americans. Over the decades that followed, Congress expanded its responsibilities to include protecting Americans from discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, sex, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and military status.

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