By Steve Neavling
The Trump administration on Wednesday moved to cancel federal agreements aimed at overhauling the Minneapolis and Louisville police departments, reversing reforms launched after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
The Justice Department also withdrew findings from civil rights investigations into six other departments, marking a sharp shift from the Biden-era push for federal oversight of local law enforcement. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, head of the DOJ Civil Rights Division, said the department will no longer “micromanage” police and called consent decrees costly, burdensome, and often counterproductive.
The consent decrees with Minneapolis and Louisville—crafted under the Biden administration but not yet approved by a judge—followed DOJ investigations that found patterns of racial discrimination and excessive force.
Rev. Al Sharpton called the reversal a “moral retreat,” warning it signals that accountability for police misconduct is optional. Kristen Clarke, who led the Civil Rights Division under Biden, said ignoring the findings “shows patent disregard for our federal civil rights and the Constitution.”
Both Minneapolis and Louisville officials said they would continue reform efforts despite the federal pullback. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pledged to follow the 169-page federal consent decree, while Louisville had already committed to sweeping changes following its own federal investigation.
