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Since 1957, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division has worked to protect the civil and constitutional rights of Americans, and for many, it has been the only line of defense when state and local officials have failed to defend such rights. Dhillon’s lack of experience working in the criminal legal system is alarming enough, but her lengthy track record of defending extremist individuals, organizations and causes demonstrates her reluctance to uphold civil rights, making her wholly unfit to lead the division. The California-based attorney has repeatedly attempted to undermine voting rights throughout her career. She’s been involved in dozens of lawsuits across the country, from challenging laws that expanded voting access to defending restrictive laws and supporting discriminatory redistricting plans. She has made clear her view that the protections of the Voting Rights Act are no longer needed for Black Americans, writing that “the era of Jim Crow is long gone, and it shouldn’t be up to a politicized DOJ to dictate what election integrity looks like.” Dhillon’s lack of experience for this position is deeply concerning. Without a background in the criminal legal system, she is ill-equipped to understand and uphold the constitutional and civil rights of those entangled in it. Furthermore, her demonstrated disregard for these rights in other contexts offers no reason to believe she is interested in doing so. This is evident through her involvement in lawsuits that reinforce systemic biases and undermine the rights of marginalized communities, including people of color, women, Jewish Americans and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as her efforts to turn the 2020 election by co-chairing Lawyers for Trump despite no evidence of voter fraud. When asked how her civil rights enforcement would differ from her predecessors during her confirmation hearing, she falsely claimed that DEI programs are a major issue in the U.S., alleging they have “been applied to use racial quotas to deny people equal access to education, employment, even potentially housing and other aspects of civil life that are covered by the civil rights statutes.” Her allegiance to Trump and disregard for protecting vulnerable communities threaten the rights of all Americans, making her unqualified to lead the Civil Rights Division. Please urge your U.S. Senators to reject Harmeet Dhillon’s nomination as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
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