DOJ Civil Rights Division Lost 75% of Lawyers, Dropped Police Reform and Discrimination Cases, HRW Reports

A Human Rights Watch report found the DOJ Civil Rights Division lost three-quarters of its lawyers by early 2026. It dropped police reform agreements with Louisville and Minneapolis and halted, dismissed, or reversed position in roughly 70 discrimination cases. HRW called it a coordinated gutting of federal civil rights enforcement. The 112-page report drew on former officials and court records.