Donald Trump has ordered the legal right section of the Justice Department to thaw all activities on existing situations.
A note to Kathleen Wolfe, Trump’s designated officer of the civil rights section, ordered her to ensure that attorneys in the department do not report “any fresh complaints, motions to act, agreed-upon remands, roman briefs, or statements of interest. ”
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The note was sent by Chad Mizelle, the department’s fresh chief of staff. It says that the ice is being implemented to get “consistent with the Department’s goal of ensuring that the Federal Government speaks with one message in its see of the rules and to ensure that the President’s officials or designees have the opportunity to choose whether to start any new situations. ”
Wolfe was informed in a subsequent letter that she should contact the Justice Department of any consent decrees signed in the last 90 days, including contracts with the police agencies in Minneapolis, Memphis, and Louisville. Those laws are now in jeopardy, along with a few other studies into police agencies across the state.
In December, the office announced a national monitoring agreement with the town of Louisville, where the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor helped fire global justice protests. In early January, the civil rights section forged a policeman responsibilities plan with city officials in Minneapolis , where the police killing of George Floyd galvanized the nationwide protests yet more. Neither has been approved by a prosecutor.Trump did not pursue related officers responsibilities studies during his first name in the White House. As a participant in this year’s vote, he evidently signaled his intention to leave Biden’s use of national power to try to suppress extreme police force and racial discrimination.
He said on the campaign trail that police at times must be “extraordinarily rough ” to stamp out urban mayhem and endorsed more aggressive tactics from police, including the use of stop-and-frisk to search suspects.
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“It’s beyond unusual — it ’s unprecedented. We’ve never seen this before at this scale with any transfer of power, regardless of the ideology of any incoming president or administration, ” said Damon Hewitt , president and executive director of the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
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“This should make Americans both angry and deeply worried. This is more than just a changing course of philosophy — this is exactly what most people [in the civil rights community ] feared: a Justice Department that was created to protect civil rights literally abdicating its duty and responsibility to protect Americans from all forms of discrimination. ”
Mr. Hewitt believes there is one, and only one, interpretation of” civil rights. ” In fact, the consent decrees authored by this justice department were designed to hog-tie police and make their jobs impossible to perform, endangering the public and leaving officers open to lawsuits and action that could end their careers.
There has got to be a better way of reigning in police excesses. These consent decrees are not the answer.
There are at least two other police reform consent decrees going through the legal process, one in Maryland and one in Minnesota.
On Jan. 6, the DOJ reached an agreement with Minneapolis, which still requires court approval, to reform the department’s “unconstitutional and unlawful practices” allegedly counter to the Americans With Disabilities Act and 14th Amendment.
In October 2024, the feds sued the Maryland Department of State Police alleging Civil Rights Act violations.
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The notion that cops now have a green light to beat on black people and other minorities is absurd. Cities don’t need the permission of the Justice Department to reform their police departments.
There will be reforms, whether ordered by the federal government or not.
