By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Indian-American lawyer Harmeet Dhillon on Friday has resigned as head of the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division after the Republican Party’s defeat in the midterm elections, but insisted that she had decided to leave weeks before the polls and remained in office at the White House’s request.

Attorney General Todd Blanche accepted her resignation on Thursday, one of the first senior Trump administration officials to depart after Democrats secured control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday’s elections.

Dhillon,Chandigarh born lawyer has served as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights for 18 months, told Fox News Digital that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had asked her to postpone her departure until after the elections.

“I wasn’t asked to resign,” Dhillon said. “I resigned 3 weeks ago, and Susie asked me to please wait until after the midterms.”

She formally submitted her resignation on November 5, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, and said she intended to return to private legal practice.

Dhillon’s departure follows a sweeping shift in the Justice Department’s civil rights enforcement priorities under President Donald Trump, including investigations into university diversity policies, protections for religious liberty and restrictions on transgender participation in women’s sports.

Her tenure also saw the abandonment of several police reform investigations and settlements.

More than three-quarters of the Civil Rights Division’s workforce from the beginning of Trump’s second term left, according to the media reports.

The division, established during the American civil rights movement to enforce federal protections against discrimination, became a focal point of the administration’s effort to reverse policies it associated with diversity, equity and inclusion.

Dhillon maintained that her office enforced civil rights laws without ideological favoritism.

Former department lawyers accused her of weakening protections for historically disadvantaged communities.

Dhillon announced her departure on X, thanked Trump for appointing her and highlighted what she considered the division’s achievements.

“Serving my country as AAG for Civil Rights has been the honor of a lifetime,” she wrote.

“We ushered in the downfall of illegal DEI, we fought to protect women and girls’ sports, and so much more.”

“I want to thank President Trump for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to what’s next!” she added.

Dhillon also cited the establishment of the division’s first Second Amendment Section, efforts to combat antisemitism and the defence of parental and religious rights among the priorities pursued during her tenure.

Blanche praised her leadership while confirming her resignation.

“She has defended the civil liberties of every American and enforced the law without fear or favor,” he said.

“The Department is grateful for her dedicated public service, and we wish her every success in her future endeavors.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin portrayed Dhillon’s departure as part of the political fallout from the Republican defeat.

In a statement issued on November 5, Martin accused her of using the Civil Rights Division to advance Trump’s political interests instead of protecting Americans.

The criticism was echoed by Stacey Young, a former Justice Department attorney who leads Justice Connection, an organization representing department alumni.

Young accused Dhillon of damaging the division’s traditional enforcement mission, citing its handling of universities, election officials and police reform cases.

The opposing assessments reflected the division’s shift under Dhillon. Supporters defended her emphasized on religious liberty, gun rights and challenges to diversity programmes, while critics questioned the retreat from longstanding discrimination and police accountability work.

Dhillon’s resignation came as Democrats prepare to take control of both chambers of Congress following the November 3 elections.

The change in congressional control gives Democrats the opportunity to pursue oversight of the Trump administration when the new Congress convenes, including scrutiny of Justice Department decisions taken during Dhillon’s tenure.

Dhillon has acknowledged that she could face requests to testify before Congress after leaving office.

She indicated that executive privilege could limit what she could disclose and that she would seek legal advice when asked whether she would comply with a subpoena,.

Her departure leaves the administration to choose new leadership for a division whose enforcement priorities and staffing underwent substantial changes during her tenure.

She was born in Chandigarh, Dhillon moved with her family to Britain before settling in the United States, where she studied at Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia School of Law.

She founded the Dhillon Law Group and the Center for American Liberty and became a prominent conservative lawyer and Republican Party figure.

Dhillon represented Trump in legal matters and challenged aspects of the 2020 presidential election before joining his second administration.

Trump nominated her to lead the Civil Rights Division in December 2024.

The Senate confirmed her on April 3, 2025, and she took office four days later.

A practicing Sikh, Dhillon delivered the Ardas prayer at the 2024 Republican National Convention, where she publicly expressed her support for Trump