New York, Nov 2026 : Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, the Chandigarh-born senior official heading the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice under President Donald Trump, has resigned, marking the first departure of a senior administration official following the Republican Party's defeat in the midterm elections.
Dhillon, who served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, told Fox News that she had submitted her resignation last month, ahead of the midterm elections. However, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had reportedly asked her to remain in office until the elections were over.
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced her departure on Thursday through a post on social media platform X, praising her contribution to the department.
“She has defended the civil liberties of every American and enforced the law without fear or favour,” Blanche said.
“The Department is grateful for her dedicated public service, and we wish her every success in her future endeavours,” he added.
The resignation comes at a time when senior officials in a US administration traditionally leave office following midterm elections, providing the President an opportunity to reorganise his team and make changes to the administration's priorities.
Although Dhillon has been a strong supporter of Trump, her tenure was not without disagreements with some of his political allies. One notable instance involved the portrayal of Sikh truck drivers and Indian-origin Americans as illegal migrants following a fatal truck accident involving a Sikh driver.
In August, Dhillon criticised attempts to use the tragedy to target the Sikh community and Indian-origin drivers.
“Unfortunately, in the fog of outrage, some are using these tragedies as an opportunity to attack law-abiding Sikhs and Indian-origin drivers, simply because of who they are,” she wrote on X.
She emphasised that many Sikh and Indian-origin Americans were hardworking and patriotic citizens, with most either born in the United States or having immigrated legally.
The controversy intensified a month later when the Department of Homeland Security shared an image of a turbaned Sikh man with the caption, “America for Americans. Get off our roads; you don't know how to drive Mr Singh.” The post was subsequently removed following protests.
Dhillon's 18-month tenure as Civil Rights Chief was also marked by significant changes in the division's approach and priorities. Traditionally, the agency had focused on protecting the rights of African Americans and other minority communities and addressing discrimination.
Under Dhillon, however, the division shifted its attention towards issues such as anti-Semitism, gun rights, religious freedom, alleged anti-Christian bias and transgender participation in women's sports. She also moved the agency away from causes she described as “woke” or progressive.
The changes triggered considerable internal unrest, with a large number of lawyers reportedly leaving the division. Her approach also attracted criticism from those who believed the agency was moving away from its traditional role of combating racial discrimination and protecting minority voting rights.
Another controversial decision involved the deployment of more than 1,000 election monitors to polling stations across the country during the midterm elections. The scale of the deployment raised concerns in several Democratic-led states.
Dhillon had previously been involved in Trump's 2020 presidential campaign as a legal adviser. At the time, she questioned the legality of Joe Biden's election victory and alleged irregularities in the voting process.
Her association with the Republican Party also included a prominent appearance at the 2024 Republican National Convention, where she delivered the Sikh prayer, Ardas.
Born in Chandigarh, Dhillon immigrated with her family during childhood, first moving to Britain before eventually settling in the United States.
Her departure is the first high-profile exit from the Trump administration following the Republicans' midterm setback and comes amid expectations of a broader reassessment of the administration's political and administrative strategy.
