WASHINGTON: The leadership at President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has implemented a temporary halt on civil rights cases and indicated it may review police reform agreements finalized during President Joe Biden's administration. This development, highlighted in two internal memos obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, marks a significant shift in the department's approach to civil rights litigation.

One of the memos instructed staff to report any settlements or consent decrees—court-monitored agreements to reform police departments—that were completed under the Biden administration in the last 90 days. Another memo directed attorneys in the Civil Rights Division to abstain from filing any new complaints,  or specific legal documents until further notice.

The memos suggested that the current administration might reconsider such agreements. This raises the possibility of abandoning consent decrees finalized in the closing weeks of Biden's term in Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. These agreements, which are still awaiting judicial approval, were crafted after investigations found that police forces in those cities had engaged in civil rights violations.

Earlier this month, the Minneapolis City Council approved a consent decree aimed at restructuring the city’s police training and use-of-force policies. The move was spurred by the 2020 killing of George Floyd, an incident that sparked nationwide protests and calls for police accountability.

Similarly, the Justice Department announced last month that it had reached an agreement with Louisville to reform its police force following the 2020 death of Breonna Taylor and the department’s controversial handling of protests.

The memos, signed by new chief of staff Chad Mizelle, signal sweeping changes expected in the Civil Rights Division. Trump’s appointee to lead the division, Harmeet Dhillon, a prominent conservative lawyer, is anticipated to drive this shift. Dhillon, who previously ran an unsuccessful campaign for Republican National Committee chair, is poised to reshape the department’s civil rights priorities.

During Trump’s first term, the Justice Department significantly scaled back its use of consent decrees, and a similar trajectory is anticipated this time. The current freeze on litigation is expected to remain in place indefinitely. According to the memo, the move ensures that the federal government maintains a unified legal stance and allows the President’s appointees to make informed decisions on whether to initiate new cases.