Mass Exodus at Justice Department's Civil Rights Division Amid Overhaul

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is undergoing a major upheaval as hundreds of lawyers and staff members are leaving, spurred by a dramatic shift in priorities under new leadership aligned with President Trump's agenda. Harmeet K. Dhillon, the new head of the division, has redirected its focus toward combating antisemitism, anti-Christian bias, and issues like transgender participation in women’s sports, while moving away from traditional emphases on racial discrimination, police oversight, and voting rights. The administration reopened a deferred resignation program, allowing departing employees to remain on payroll through September, with more than 100 attorneys expected to take the offer and total departures potentially exceeding 200, which would reduce staffing to about a third of previous levels. Dhillon has publicly welcomed the exodus, stating that the division no longer needs staff committed to what she describes as 'woke ideology.' Critics, including former officials and current staff, argue this represents not just a routine shift in priorities but a fundamental redefinition of the division's historic mission. The mass departures and policy overhaul signal a significant transformation of the federal government's approach to civil rights enforcement.