Human Rights Watch reports decline in US civil rights enforcement

A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) claims the Trump administration has significantly weakened federal civil rights enforcement through staffing cuts and policy shifts. The 112-page analysis covers the period from January 2025 through early 2026.

According to the findings, key agencies responsible for monitoring discrimination in housing, education, employment, and the criminal justice system have been largely defunded or stripped of personnel. Specifically, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division reportedly lost three-quarters of its lawyers by early 2026 and abandoned previous reform agreements with police departments in cities such as Minneapolis and Louisville.

The report examined four primary entities: the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Office, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. HRW researchers stated that the administration is rolling back systems that communities have historically relied upon for relief from discrimination.