Last week, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, along with 85 national civil rights organizations, submitted a powerful letter calling on congressional leaders to exercise their oversight responsibility over the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The letter is worth a read. 

In the letter, the Leadership Conference outlines the unprecedented dismantling of the Civil Rights Division under the current administration. It explains how the mission of the Division, which has historically played an important role in advancing civil rights, has been abandoned. It also sounds the alarm on the significant loss of civil rights expertise within the Division, estimating that the attorney staff has been reduced by about 70%. Even more, the Division has withdrawn from litigating important pending civil rights cases. 

We must stay educated about these troubling developments and do our part to speak out. 

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