Top US civil rights official resigns | US Midterm Elections 2026 News
New Democratic Congress Plans Investigations into Trump Administration’s Handling of Civil Rights Issues
By Evan Semon
Published November 5, 2026
As the Trump administration braces for a series of congressional investigations, including inquiries into actions by immigration agents and the handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s files, a key official in the Department of Justice has announced her resignation.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the departure of Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon on Thursday through a post on social media platform X.
“Today, I accepted the resignation of Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon,” Blanche stated. “She has defended the civil liberties of every American and enforced the law without fear or favor.”
Dhillon, a prominent Trump ally, was appointed to her position in April 2025. Under her leadership, the civil rights division of the Justice Department underwent significant restructuring, aiming to enforce anti-discrimination laws. However, her tenure has faced criticism, with hundreds of former Justice Department officials decrying the “destruction” of the agency’s mission in a letter sent in December.
Her resignation marks the first departure of a high-ranking official since Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress during the recent midterm elections.
Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia, expected to become the chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, announced on Wednesday that the committee would pursue four major investigations. These will include inquiries into abuses of power by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and the handling of Epstein-related documents.
Earlier this year, Dhillon reportedly informed staff that her division would not investigate the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—by ICE agents in Minneapolis, an action Garcia criticized.
In May, Garcia accused the Trump administration of continuing to protect the former president from scrutiny regarding undisclosed documents related to the Epstein case. He claimed that during a closed-door hearing, Dhillon intervened to block questions about Trump’s involvement in the release of sensitive files.
The Justice Department referred inquiries about the timing of Dhillon’s resignation to Blanche’s social media announcement. The White House has not yet commented on the matter.
