WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian-origin lawyer Harmeet Kaur Dhillon has resigned as head of the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, becoming the first senior official in the Trump administration to step down following the Republicans’ major defeat in the midterm elections.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Dhillon’s departure on Thursday, November 5, praising her work and leadership during her tenure.
“She has defended the civil liberties of every American and enforced the law without fear or favor,” Blanche wrote in a post on X, adding that the department was grateful for her public service and wished her success in her future endeavors.
Dhillon, however, said the decision to step down was her own.
Speaking to Fox News, she said she had delayed announcing her resignation at the request of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles until after Election Day.
In a post on X, Dhillon described serving as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights as the “honor of a lifetime” and thanked President Donald Trump for the opportunity.
Why did Harmeet Kaur Dhillon resign?
Dhillon did not give a specific reason for her resignation, maintaining that the decision was voluntary.
Reflecting on her tenure, she said her team had worked to end what she described as illegal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and had fought to protect women’s and girls’ sports.
“Serving my country as AAG for Civil Rights has been the honor of a lifetime. We ushered in the downfall of illegal DEI, we fought to protect women and girls’ sports, and so much more. I want to thank President Trump for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to what’s next,” she wrote.
Dhillon was also known for her active presence on social media, where she frequently posted videos about the work of the Civil Rights Division. In media interviews, she acknowledged that social media posts had at times helped generate ideas for civil rights investigations.
Who is Harmeet Kaur Dhillon?
Born in Chandigarh into a Punjabi Sikh family, Dhillon’s parents initially moved to London before eventually settling in the United States.
A lawyer by profession, she ran her own law firm in San Francisco for several years and was closely associated with Trump even before joining his administration. Her firm was part of the legal team for Trump’s 2020 election campaign.
A prominent supporter of Trump, Dhillon regularly appeared on conservative podcasts and maintained an active presence on social media.
Speaking at a Moms for Liberty event in New York in May, she described her parents’ decision to bring the family to the US as the “greatest gift” they had given her.
Dhillon said her father was an orthopedic surgeon and that her parents left India in the 1970s before eventually moving to the US, where there was a shortage of doctors and medical professionals were being encouraged to come to the country during the Vietnam War.
“Besides life, the greatest gift that Mom and Dad gave me was bringing me here to America and allowing me to be sworn in as a naturalized American citizen when I was 10 years old,” she said.
Dhillon rose to prominence as a civil rights attorney before becoming one of Trump’s prominent legal and political allies. Her resignation marks the first departure of a senior Trump administration official following the Republican Party’s midterm election setback.
(With inputs from PTI)
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