By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON — The Republican-led U.S. Senate approved conservative attorney Harmeet Dhillon as head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division on Thursday with a 52-45 vote, following President Donald Trump's nomination.
One Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, sided with the Democrats in voting against it.
Dhillon will supervise both criminal and civil matters, which include prosecuting cases involving hate crimes as well as handling litigation related to voting rights. Additionally, they will be responsible for looking into law enforcement organizations that engage in discriminatory practices systematically.
Trump's nominees have swiftly brought about substantial alterations to both the staffing and focus areas of the Civil Rights Division.
Many of its leading officials were transferred to staff a newly established office dedicated to probing immigration matters in so-called "sanctuary cities."
The department halted efforts to obtain court-sanctioned agreements with the Minneapolis and Louisville police departments to address civil rights inquiries triggered by the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
A week ago, they initiated an unparalleled civil rights inquiry to determine if the Los Angeles County Sheriffs' Department is infringing upon individuals' constitutional right to bear arms as protected by the Second Amendment.
Dhillon, who strongly supports Trump, established the extreme right-wing organization known as the Center for American Liberty.
During her confirmation hearing, she stated that she endorses the Trump administration’s initiative to prohibit the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies within governmental bodies and private enterprises, describing these initiatives as both "unlawful and unconstitutional."
Her nonprofit organization claims to advocate for the rights of Americans who have been overlooked by established civil rights organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Throughout her career, Harmeet has steadfastly defended our treasured civil liberties, including challenging Big Tech for suppressing free speech, advocating for Christians barred from prayer during the pandemic, and litigating against companies that implement wokeness-driven discrimination against employees,” Trump stated on his Truth Social account when announcing her nomination.
In a missive addressed to the Senate Judiciary Committee, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights voiced their disapproval of Dhillon's nomination.
"Her involvement in assisting President Trump's attempts to reverse the outcomes of the 2020 election, her harsh campaign against the transgender community, her firm stance against reproductive rights, and her advocacy for individuals accused of sexual harassment portray an unsettling scenario regarding what we might anticipate from the Civil Rights Division should Ms. Dhillon be approved," it stated.
On Thursday, the Senate likewise approved Donald Trump’s previous legal counsel, Dean John Sauer, with a 52-45 partisan vote to serve as the Solicitor General, which is the lead attorney at the Justice Department responsible for representing the federal government in Supreme Court proceedings.
(Reported by Sarah N. Lynch; additional reporting by Bo Erickson; Edited by Sonali Paul)