Justice civil rights chief exits as congressional probes begin
Harmeet Dhillon resigns as the first high-level departure following the Democratic midterms, just before new oversight inquiries into ICE and Epstein files.
By Amina Yusuf ·
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has stepped down from her position leading the Department of Justice’s civil rights division. Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the departure on social media on Thursday. Blanche stated that he accepted Dhillon’s resignation and noted her work in defending civil liberties and enforcing the law.
Dhillon was confirmed to her role in April 2025 and led a major restructuring of the civil rights division. This unit is responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws across the country. In December 2025, hundreds of former Justice Department officials sent a letter criticizing the changes. They described the state of the division as a destruction of the agency’s mission under the current administration.
Her resignation marks the first high-level exit from the Trump administration since Democrats won control of both houses of Congress in the midterm elections held on Tuesday. This timing coincides with the launch of several new congressional investigations. These probes target specific issues, including the conduct of immigration agents and the handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California who is expected to lead the House Oversight Committee, outlined four major areas of inquiry on Wednesday. He identified abuses of power by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as a primary focus. Garcia also pledged to examine the Epstein files and other matters involving executive power.
Reportedly, Dhillon told her staff earlier in the year that her office would not investigate the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by ICE agents in Minneapolis. The victims were Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The civil rights division has traditionally handled cases involving law enforcement killings by police officers. Garcia has accused the administration of shielding the president from scrutiny regarding his connection to the Epstein files.
During a closed-door hearing, Garcia claimed that Dhillon intervened multiple times to block questions about the president’s role in the release of Epstein-related documents. He made these allegations while questioning Pam Bondi, Blanche’s predecessor as Attorney General. The Justice Department pointed to Blanche’s social media post when asked about the specific timing of the resignation submission.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the departure. Dhillon’s exit occurs as congressional leaders prepare to scrutinize the actions of federal agencies. The new oversight efforts will likely examine the decisions made by the civil rights division during the period of Dhillon’s leadership.
