Harmeet Dhillon, controversial head of Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, resigns

Updated on: November 5, 2026 / 12:59 PM EST / CBS News

Washington — Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, resigned on Thursday, Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

"Today, I accepted the resignation of Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who led the Civil Rights Division with conviction the past 18 months," Blanche wrote in a post on X. "She has defended the civil liberties of every American and enforced the law without fear or favor. The Department is grateful for her dedicated public service, and we wish her every success in her future endeavors."

Dhillon oversaw a mass exodus from the Civil Rights Division last year, with more than 75% of its staff departing. She upended many of the division's traditional priorities that focused on combating discrimination against some of the nation's most vulnerable and historically marginalized groups.

Since taking over the division, often lauded as being the "crown jewel" of the DOJ, she has reoriented it to focus instead on other priorities that have included protecting gun owners' rights, curbing the use of equity, diversity and inclusion policies at universities, and adopting legal positions that oppose civil rights protections for…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/