Over 100 civil rights attorneys leave US Justice Department

US Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said more than 100 attorneys have recently left the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division amid a shift in priorities under the Trump administration.

"What we have made very clear last week in memos to each of the 11 sections in the Civil Rights Division is that our priorities under President Trump are going to be somewhat different than they were under (former) President Biden," Dhillon said in an interview with the American conservative podcaster Glenn Beck.

Dhillon, appointed this month to lead the division, said its agenda has been overhauled to focus on issues such as antisemitism and transgender athletes in women's sports.

"We tell them, these are the President's priorities, this is what we will be focusing on -- govern yourself accordingly. And en masse, dozens and now over 100 attorneys decided that they'd rather not do what their job requires them to do," she said.

Dhillon said she had no issue with the departures.

"We don't want people in the federal government who feel like it's their pet project to go persecute police departments based on statistical evidence or persecute people praying outside abortion facilities instead of doing violence," she said.

"The job here is to enforce the federal civil rights laws -- not woke ideology," Dhillon added.

Dhillon said she plans to expand the division's staff to handle cases such as the administration's efforts against Harvard University, emphasizing a need for more attorneys and resources.

According to the Justice Department's website, the Civil Rights Division was established in 1957 and enforces laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status, national origin and citizenship status.