Justice Department temporarily freezes civil-rights litigation, police overhauls: reports
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s new leaders at the Justice Department froze civil rights litigation and suggested reconsidering agreements negotiated by the Biden administration to overhaul local police departments, according to reports about two memos.
Lawyers in the Civil Rights Division were ordered not to file any new complaints or other court papers “until further notice,” according to one of the memos to Kathleen Wolfe, who was designated as the division’s supervisor.
Another memo sent to Wolfe directed attorneys to notify leadership of any settlements or consent decrees, such as agreements to overhaul police agencies that the courts enforce, that were finalized by the Biden administration within the last 90 days.
Settlements were reached with police departments in Minneapolis, Louisville and Memphis during that period, but judges have not yet approved them.
The memos were reported by The Washington Post and The Associated Press.
The memos sent by the new chief of staff, Chad Mizzelle, signaled changes are expected in the DOJ division that is set to be lead by Harmeet Dhillon, Trump's nominee to lead the division.
The length of the “litigation freeze” is unclear. The memo said the action was necessary to ensure “that the federal government speaks with one voice in its view of the law and to ensure that the President’s appointees or designees have the opportunity to decide whether to initiate new cases.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DOJ freezes civil-rights litigation, police overhauls: reports