Harmeet Dhillon Steps Down at DOJ: What Her Civil Rights Division Record Means for Federal Employees
Harmeet Dhillon, who led the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, is stepping down just two days after the midterm elections. Her departure invites a look back at what happened to the division during her tenure and what it means for federal employees who rely on civil rights protections at work. Below is the record as Shaun Southworth laid it out in his Friday video, with the sources that support it.
A Division That Lost Most of Its Lawyers
The Civil Rights Division began this administration with roughly 380 lawyers. More than three quarters of them left. In a December 2025 New York Post report on a podcast interview, Dhillon described those who left as having “self-deported with a nice golden parachute” and referred to “crying sessions.” Whatever one thinks of the phrasing, the headcount is the part that matters for the public: fewer attorneys means fewer cases the division can bring.
Priorities, Investigations, and Lawsuits
The division’s traditional work includes protecting voting rights, stopping discrimination, and holding police accountable. Under Dhillon, the division shifted its emphasis toward other priorities, including a new gun-rights section. According to Shaun’s review of the public record, the division opened more than one hundred college investigations but filed almost no lawsuits from them. It sued Harvard twice; both cases were thrown out, the second the day before the election. CBS News reported in January 2026 on the Minneapolis shootings and on who was kept out of those investigations.
The Voter-Roll Lawsuits and the Texas Letter
The division sued thirty states and the District of Columbia over their voter rolls. By the count of Democracy Docket’s tracker, the record in those cases is zero wins and twenty-seven losses, and a Trump-appointed judge described one of the efforts as a fishing expedition. Separately, the Associated Press reported on November 4, 2026, that Republican-backed redistricting, which included a letter Dhillon wrote that Texas relied on, sought a midterm edge and did not deliver one. On Election Day the division sent about a thousand monitors to all fifty states.
DEI, Discrimination, and What the Law Still Says
Dhillon’s farewell post said she ushered in the downfall of illegal DEI. As a legal matter, discrimination in federal employment was unlawful before her tenure and remains unlawful after it. A diversity program is not automatically illegal; like any workplace practice, it can be carried out lawfully or unlawfully, and the question is always what actually happened to the employee. The laws and the courts have not changed because of who leads a division.
What Federal Employees Should Take From This
If you believe you have been treated differently because of your race, sex, religion, age, disability, or another protected basis, or because you complained about discrimination, your rights under the federal EEO process remain in place. The first deadline is short: you generally must contact an EEO counselor within 45 days of the discriminatory event or personnel action, as set out in 29 C.F.R. § 1614.105(a)(1). Keep a dated record of what happened, save copies of related emails and notices, and do not wait to find out who is leading which office.
If you were one of the Civil Rights Division lawyers who left, we would like to hear from you. And if you have questions about your own situation, the team at Southworth PC represents federal employees nationwide and worldwide.
Legal Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Federal employment situations are fact-specific and time-sensitive. Please consult a qualified federal employment attorney about your specific situation.