Dhillon exits Justice Department amid university lawsuits, looming congressional scrutiny

Harmeet Dhillon resigned as head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division on Thursday, after less than 19 months marked by aggressive litigation against California universities, challenges to state election practices and an exodus of career attorneys.

Her abrupt departure came two days after Democrats won control of Congress, raising the prospect of intensified scrutiny of the division's enforcement priorities and internal operations when the new Congress convenes in January.

Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed Thursday that he had "accepted" Dhillon's resignation but did not immediately name a successor.

Dhillon, a former California Republican Party official and San Francisco attorney, oversaw a significant shift in the division's priorities, emphasizing antisemitism on college campuses, race-conscious admissions policies and election integrity. Hundreds of experienced attorneys departed during her tenure.

The Justice Department has filed two lawsuits against the University of California alleging that UCLA failed to protect Jewish and Israeli employees and students from antisemitic harassment.

In October, Dhillon also announced investigative findings that UCLA School of Law discriminated against white and Asian applicants in admissions decisions. The department sought a voluntary agreement requiring changes to the school's practices.

Those cases and investigations reflect broader enforcement priorities established under President Donald Trump, rather than initiatives dependent solely on Dhillon's leadership. Her departure does not itself signal a change in the administration's approach to university litigation or civil rights enforcement.

The division has also pursued lawsuits seeking voter-registration information from California and other states, encountering resistance in federal courts.

In a resignation letter posted on social media, Dhillon thanked Trump "for giving me this opportunity," calling it "the greatest honor of my lifetime."

She cited what she described as "historic victories," including "ending unlawful and discriminatory DEI practices" at major universities, "conducting the largest election-monitoring effort in Department history," and defending parents' rights against school districts "transitioning" their children.

Dhillon pledged to "continue fighting for this country in the years ahead."

According to multiple accounts, she plans to return to Dhillon Law Group, the San Francisco firm she founded, which has represented clients in many conservative political and legal causes.

Dhillon did not respond to a phone call seeking comment Thursday. Her law firm did not respond to an email inquiry.

Her resignation also comes as Democrats prepare to take control of the House and Senate in January, with congressional leaders announcing plans for extensive oversight of the Trump administration.

The Civil Rights Division could face questions about its treatment of career attorneys, decisions to abandon or redirect longstanding enforcement efforts, and the role of political considerations in selecting cases and investigations.

Dhillon's successor has not been identified. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jesus Osete is among the division's senior officials, although Trump has nominated him for a federal judgeship in Missouri.

A permanent replacement requires Senate confirmation. Republicans retain their 53-seat majority until the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, leaving a narrow window to confirm a nominee before Democrats take control.

Reactions to Dhillon's tenure reflected the deep divisions over the administration's civil rights agenda.

"Her stellar achievements will leave a lasting impact on civil rights in America and at the US Department of Justice," Mark Trammell, CEO of the Center for American Liberty, a conservative legal nonprofit Dhillon founded in 2018, said in a news release. "We're confident that she's far from done and she will continue to tirelessly fight for righteous causes."

Former Civil Rights Division attorney Stacey Young offered a sharply different assessment.

"Harmeet Dhillon has been the most destructive, lawless, and hateful head of the Civil Rights Division in DOJ history," Young said in a news release posted by Justice Connection, a nonprofit she founded after leaving the department in January 2025 following 18 years of service.

The organization supports Justice Department employees and advocates for protections against partisan interference.

Young accused Dhillon of abandoning police accountability investigations while using "the enormous power of the Justice Department to threaten universities, state and local officials, and election workers in spurious cases that rarely won in court."

UC Berkeley School of Law professor David B. Oppenheimer compared Dhillon's tenure to that of William Bradford Reynolds, who reversed policies on affirmative action and school desegregation while holding the same position from 1981 to 1988.

"There was a decision to put a person in charge at the Civil Rights Division who was clearly an ideologue with an anti-civil rights ideology," said Oppenheimer, who directs Berkeley's Center on Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law. "It certainly scared a lot of people and resulted in a lot of cases being dismissed that probably shouldn't have."

He added that it "will take some time to recover" after the loss of so many career attorneys. Meanwhile, he said, Trump has a decision to make.

"Do they put a long-term professional in charge of the division, or do they try to push through another political appointment right now?" Oppenheimer said.