Indian-American Harmeet Dhillon quits as US civil rights chief after midterm poll rout
Harmeet Kaur Dhillon has resigned from her position as the head of the US Justice Department's Civil Rights Division following the midterm elections. Her tenure was marked by significant policy shifts regarding DEI initiatives and campus investigations, leading to a major reduction in the division's staff.
Why it matters
The resignation reflects ongoing political shifts within the US administration and the changing priorities of federal civil rights enforcement.
Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, an Indian-American lawyer who served as assistant attorney general for Civil Rights and headed the US Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, has resigned, marking the first departure of a senior administration official since the US midterm elections.Dhillon's exit comes after a controversial tenure during which the division underwent a sweeping change in priorities, moving away from several investigations into police practices while pursuing cases involving diversity policies at universities, admissions practices and allegations of antisemitism on campuses.Attorney General Todd Blanche announced her departure on X on Thursday, praising her leadership and saying she had defended the civil liberties of Americans and enforced the law "without fear or favour".Dhillon, however, maintained that the decision was entirely hers and had been made weeks before the elections.
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