We’ve just seen one of the most significant mass resignations inside the Justice Department in recent memory as four top leaders of the Civil Rights Division’s criminal section immediately quit their posts in protest. These departures include the section chief, the principal deputy chief, the deputy chief, and the acting deputy chief, as per MS Now. This mass exodus registers the deep frustration they feel over the administration’s refusal to investigate a fatal police shooting in Minneapolis.
The core issue sparking this wave of resignations is the deadly shooting of motorist Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. The criminal section of the Civil Rights Division typically takes the lead on investigating any fatal shooting involving a law enforcement officer, particularly when there are allegations of improper use of force or abuse.
However, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon decided the department would not conduct a separate DOJ investigation into the ICE officer’s actions or determine whether he improperly used deadly force.
This is a serious blow to accountability, and it’s clearly what pushed these career professionals out the door
Kristen Clarke, who previously led the division during the Biden administration, emphasized just how important this work is. She explained that investigating officials to see if they broke the law, failed to deescalate, or resorted to deadly force without basis “is one of the Civil Rights Division’s most solemn duties.” She added that the division’s prosecutors have been the nation’s leading experts in this work for decades.
The optics surrounding the shooting itself are already terrible. Just one day after Good’s death, Vice President JD Vance defended the ICE officer, claiming the shooting was justified even before a full investigation could begin. President Trump himself then made inaccurate claims that Good had “run over” the ICE officer, though video evidence clearly contradicts this statement. The available video evidence actually shows Good’s wheels were turned away from the officer when he opened fire and killed her.
The administration’s actions following the shooting only amplified the concerns. On January 10, the FBI announced it would take over the investigation entirely, blocking Minnesota authorities from their typical role in reviewing evidence. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of trying to seize the evidence as part of a coverup.
Meanwhile, the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul have filed a lawsuit attempting to block President Trump’s immigration enforcement actions, which Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced would actually grow following Good’s death.
The assistant attorney general’s decision to drop the investigation seems to align with her stated priorities for the division. Late last week, a deputy for Dhillon relayed to the criminal section that the office would not be conducting the separate DOJ probe. In the days following the shooting, Dhillon retweeted a post on X where a prosecutor warned people that if they ram ICE officers, those officers will use deadly force.
Published: Jan 13, 2026 02:00 pm