Dhillon, who was born in India and immigrated with her Sikh family to the United States as a child
Speaking to Fox News Digital, she said White House chief of staff Susie Wiles had requested that she delay the announcement until after Election Day. “My decision, my choice,” she said, adding that she wanted to return to the private sector. Stacey Young, a former division attorney who now leads a network of Justice Department alumni, called Dhillon “the most destructive, lawless and hateful” head of the division in its history.
Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, an Indian-American lawyer who served as assistant attorney general for Civil Rights and headed the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, has resigned, marking the first departure of a senior administration official since the US midterm elections. The changes also drew strong criticism from former Justice Department officials, who accused her of weakening the division’s traditional role in enforcing civil rights protections. Dhillon’s resignation adds to the list of Indian-origin figures who have held prominent positions in American politics and public service. Dhillon’s departure comes amid the growing presence of Indian-origin Americans in senior positions in US politics and public service. Other prominent names include Vice President JD Vance’s wife Usha Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya and former White House AI adviser Sriram Krishnan. The community has also had a significant presence in the Democratic establishment, including former vice-president Kamala Harris, former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and former White House domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden.
Dhillon, however, maintained that the decision was entirely hers and had been made weeks before the elections.