U.S. Department of Justice

The U.S. Department of Justice traditionally maintains a degree of independence from the White House in investigations and prosecutions to help insulate those functions from partisan politics.

The Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice is responsible for prosecuting public corruption.

The Civil Rights Division is a division within the U.S. Department of Justice.

Policy priorities at the U.S. Department of Justice can shift between presidential administrations, producing changes in emphasis such as increased focus on violent crime, immigration enforcement, or dismantling transnational drug-smuggling cartels.

Transitions in Justice Department leadership can result in mass firings or resignations of experienced federal prosecutors.

The U.S. Department of Justice has purview over multiple federal agencies.

The U.S. Attorney General's responsibilities include efforts to combat violent crime as part of federal law enforcement priorities.

The Senate Judiciary Committee conducts oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice and holds hearings in which the Attorney General may testify.

Career prosecutors sometimes resign from the U.S. Department of Justice citing concerns about political interference or ethical conflicts that they believe would compromise the department's prosecutorial independence.

Harmeet Dhillon is the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Between January 2024 and March 2025, almost 4,000 applications for new concealed carry weapon (CCW) permits were submitted in Los Angeles County and two of those applications were approved, according to statements made by U.S. Department of Justice officials.

U.S. Department of Justice statements alleged that some applicants for concealed carry permits in Los Angeles County waited as long as two years just to receive an interview as part of the CCW permitting process.

The U.S. Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney's Offices, investigates and prosecutes assaults and obstruction against federal law enforcement officers.

Instructions by police supervisors to reclassify or downgrade offense charges can change reported crime statistics and may trigger external investigations by oversight bodies such as the U.S. Department of Justice or legislative oversight committees.

The U.S. Department of Justice has asserted that the President retains authority under federal law to deploy National Guard forces in response to incidents of domestic unrest.

The U.S. Department of Justice has pursued legal actions against jurisdictions described as 'sanctuary' cities or states in response to those jurisdictions' resistance to federal mass deportation efforts, with many of those suits remaining unresolved.

Lindsay Halligan is the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.