Story perspectives

DOJ Civil Rights Unit Targets Gun Rights, Critics Alarmed

6/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Justice Department repurposed its Civil Rights Division to pursue gun-rights litigation.
The division has sued Los Angeles County, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Denver, Colorado, Washington, D.C., and plans to sue Virginia.
Critics argue the new focus diverts resources from police-misconduct and civil-rights investigations affecting marginalized communities.
More than 100 former Department of Justice (DOJ) civil-rights attorneys warned that the shift and large attorney layoffs threaten protection of historically disadvantaged groups.

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Story summary

The Justice Department repurposed its Civil Rights Division to pursue gun-rights litigation.
The division has sued Los Angeles County, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Denver, Colorado, Washington, D.C., and plans to sue Virginia.
Critics argue the new focus diverts resources from police-misconduct and civil-rights investigations affecting marginalized communities.
More than 100 former Department of Justice (DOJ) civil-rights attorneys warned that the shift and large attorney layoffs threaten protection of historically disadvantaged groups.