Civil Rights Division CRT

The Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first civil rights law since Reconstruction, created the Civil Rights Division, led by an Assistant Attorney General confirmed by the Senate. In its early years the division brought voting rights suits across the South, and its authority expanded enormously with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, and later the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The division enforces laws against discrimination in voting, housing, employment by state and local governments, education, lending, and public accommodations, and the rights of people with disabilities and members of the military. It prosecutes hate crimes, human trafficking, and police misconduct, and under a 1994 law it can investigate police departments for a pattern or practice of unconstitutional conduct and seek court-enforced consent decrees. It reviews redistricting and voting changes and defends federal voting laws in court.

Its priorities shift sharply with administrations, making it one of the most politically sensitive parts of the Justice Department. In 2025 the division moved to dismiss pending police consent decrees, including those for Louisville and Minneapolis, refocused on cases involving antisemitism, religious liberty, and challenges to diversity programs, and saw a large share of its career attorneys depart. Supporters described these moves as ending federal overreach, while critics argued they abandoned the division's core mission.