DOJ Civil Rights Division

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division investigates potential violations of federal civil rights laws, including excessive force by law enforcement. - Opened investigation into Alex Pretti killing January 30; declined to investigate Renee Good killing

States continue challenging federal immigration enforcement on multiple fronts as the legal battle expands beyond state governments to schools and civil rights organizations. U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez denied Minnesota's request for a temporary restraining order against Operation Metro Surge on February 2, 2026, citing insufficient proof of constitutional violations despite acknowledging evidence of racial profiling and excessive force. On February 4, a coalition of Minnesota school districts and educators filed a separate federal lawsuit seeking to block ICE enforcement within 1,000 feet of schools, citing traumatized students, lockdowns, and a 22% spike in daily absences following the January 7 killing of Renee Good. The crisis has escalated with two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens—Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24—prompting the DOJ Civil Rights Division to open a formal investigation into Pretti's death on January 30, now led by the FBI.

Updated Feb 11

The Civil Rights Division enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination; under the Trump administration, it has pivoted to demanding voter rolls from states and investigating 2020 election claims. - Leading voter data collection and election investigations

About a week after FBI agents seized 700 boxes of 2020 election ballots from a Fulton County warehouse on January 28, 2026, the Georgia Senate passed a resolution on February 1 urging Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to comply with DOJ demands for unredacted voter data, despite his refusal citing state privacy laws. The seizure—authorized by a federal magistrate judge—continues despite prior court rejections of fraud claims, with FBI Director Kash Patel defending the probable cause and revealing President Trump personally thanked agents via speakerphone arranged by DNI Tulsi Gabbard.

Updated Feb 5

The DOJ division responsible for enforcing federal civil rights laws, now leading litigation to compel states to surrender voter registration data. - Plaintiff in voter data lawsuits

The Justice Department wants every state's unredacted voter file—names, addresses, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers for roughly 160 million registered voters. Since May 2025, DOJ has demanded these records from at least 44 states. Twenty-five jurisdictions refused and are now being sued. In late January 2026, Attorney General Pam Bondi escalated tactics by conditioning the removal of ICE and CBP agents from Minneapolis on Minnesota providing voter rolls and welfare data, drawing accusations of coercion from state officials and Senate Democrats.

Updated Feb 4

Investigates civil rights violations at state correctional facilities under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). - Restructured under Trump administration; prison civil rights enforcement halted

Georgia recorded seven prison homicides in 2018. In 2024, inmates killed 66 of their fellow prisoners—a nearly tenfold increase in six years. On January 12, 2026, a gang-affiliated fight at Washington State Prison left three more dead, including Jimmy Trammell, who was 72 hours from completing his 10-year sentence. Bloodied inmates breached a visitation area while a single officer tried to maintain control at a facility operating with 72% of its correctional officer positions vacant.

Updated Jan 17