The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday it will cancel agreements with the cities of Minneapolis and Louisville that were designed to reform their police departments after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The department also plans to withdraw findings from civil rights investigations into six additional police agencies, citing the previous administration’s flawed legal reasoning.
The announcement under the Trump administration’s newly installed leadership marks a significant policy reversal. Under President Biden, the Justice Department had prioritized oversight of police departments accused of systemic civil rights violations, including excessive force and racial bias.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, now leading the DOJ Civil Rights Division, said the decision reflects a shift toward local control. “It’s our view at the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division under the Trump administration that federal micromanagement of local police should be a rare exception, and not the norm,” Dhillon stated.
Critics argue the decision undermines accountability and sends a dangerous message. “This move isn’t just a policy reversal. It’s a moral retreat that sends a chilling message that accountability is optional when it comes to Black and Brown victims,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, who has worked closely with the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to push for police accountability.
Kristen Clarke, who previously led the Civil Rights Division, defended the original investigations and the following agreements. “To wholesale ignore and disregard these systemic violations, laid bare in well-documented and detailed public reports, shows patent disregard for our federal civil rights and the Constitution,” Clarke told the Associated Press.
Despite the federal rollback, local officials in both Minneapolis and Louisville pledged to continue with reform efforts. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vowed, “We will comply with every sentence of every paragraph of the 169-page consent decree that we signed this year.” Louisville officials echoed that commitment, saying the city would move forward with plans to implement changes and appoint an independent monitor.
The DOJ also announced reviewing over a dozen other consent decrees still in effect nationwide. The move comes just days before the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder—a pivotal moment that sparked a global call for systemic police reform.