Jan 24, 2025 Story by: Publisher
The Justice Department has temporarily halted civil rights litigation and signaled that it may revisit several police reform agreements with local departments, many of which were negotiated under the Biden administration.
According to memos obtained by The Hill, issued on Wednesday, January 22, by Trump administration officials, the pause raises questions about the future of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which is responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws.
In the two memos sent by Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle, attorneys in the Civil Rights Division were instructed to refrain from filing any new complaints or briefs “until further notice.” One of the memos also requested that attorneys report any consent decrees finalized within the past 90 days. These decrees, typically negotiated between the Justice Department and local police departments, are designed to drive reform efforts.
The memo stated that the Justice Department “may wish to reconsider” some of these agreements.
A DOJ official explained, “The memo furthers the Department’s goal to speak with one voice in pursuing the administration’s priorities.”
Those agreements, reached after investigations found police engaged in civil rights violations, still need to be approved by a judge. They were among 12 investigations into law enforcement agencies launched by the Civil Rights Division under Attorney General Merrick Garland.
This move coincides with the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to finalize reform agreements with police departments in Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both agreements stem from high-profile incidents of excessive force, including the 2020 killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Officials in both cities had pledged cooperation with the Justice Department, but the proposed consent decrees were awaiting judicial approval. These agreements are part of a broader effort under the Biden administration, which launched a dozen investigations into local police departments.
The Minneapolis proposal aims to eliminate racially discriminatory policing practices and improve the treatment of individuals with disabilities. It also includes provisions to limit the use of handcuffs on children under 14 and to restrict certain policing tactics during protests. Similarly, the Louisville agreement followed a DOJ investigation that revealed a pattern of constitutional violations and discriminatory practices against the Black community.
Source: The Hill
