Trump’s new Justice Department leadership orders a freeze on civil rights cases

President Trump’s new Justice Department leadership has halted civil rights litigation and may reconsider police reform agreements negotiated by the Biden administration. Memos obtained by The Associated Press reveal that attorneys were ordered not to file new complaints or court papers, and to notify leadership of recent settlements or consent decrees. This could include abandoning agreements in Louisville and Minneapolis, where investigations found police misconduct. The new chief of staff indicates major changes in the Civil Rights Division, with the goal of reshaping priorities around civil rights. The duration of the litigation freeze is uncertain.