The Assistant Attorney General is the first senior Trump official to step down following the Republican defeat in midterm elections.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon resigned from her position as head of the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division on Thursday, according to reports by News18, Bhaskar English and Al Jazeera.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the departure on X, stating that Dhillon had upheld American civil liberties and applied the law impartially.
Dhillon, a close ally of President Donald Trump, is the first high-ranking official to leave the administration since Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the recent midterm elections.
In her resignation announcement on social media, Dhillon described the role as the honour of a lifetime and thanked the President for the opportunity. She noted that her team worked to end what she termed illegal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and protected sports for women and girls.
Bhaskar English reported that Dhillon had previously accused division attorneys of refusing to follow the administration's agenda and pursuing liberal priorities. While she did not provide a specific reason for leaving, a spokesperson said she would return to her law firm, The Dhillon Law Group.
During her tenure, Dhillon oversaw a shift in the division's focus toward investigating antisemitism on college campuses and challenging diversity initiatives. She also led efforts regarding transgender policies in school districts and investigations into whether certain cities violated gun rights.
