Trump’s DOJ civil rights nominee gained fame by challenging California Democrats
A resident of the progressive stronghold of San Francisco, Harmeet Dhillon, a long-time ally of Trump, has established her reputation through engaging in culture-war conflicts related to trans rights and pandemic restrictions.
TroibNews 
SAN FRANCISCO, California — Donald Trump's nominee to lead the civil rights division at the Department of Justice, Harmeet Dhillon, has developed a national reputation as a prominent contrarian in San Francisco. She has represented conservative college students at UC Berkeley, a Google engineer dismissed for opposing diversity initiatives, and churches compelled to close during the pandemic.
An attorney and Republican Party official residing in San Francisco, Dhillon has been instrumental in culture-war legal conflicts concerning diversity, free speech, and Covid-related closures, both in California and on a national level. Her unwavering loyalty to Trump has been evident from the outset.
Her ideology and history of championing notable conservative causes in California may indicate a significant change in the DOJ’s civil rights strategy, potentially reshaping conventional perceptions of which rights the division aims to protect.
“She certainly brings a different lens,” remarked Mark Geragos, a friend of Dhillon and a well-known Los Angeles trial attorney whose former clients include Hunter Biden and the Menendez brothers. “The civil rights division, to my mind, has kind of languished.”
Supporters have indicated that if confirmed by the Senate, Dhillon is likely to utilize the division's powers to scrutinize universities for alleged discrimination against Jewish or white students, challenge social media platforms accused of censoring conservative viewpoints, and ensure that left-leaning organizations are held accountable in incidents of political violence.
Dhillon opted not to comment for this article but expressed via Twitter that she was "extremely honored" by Trump's selection of her for the assistant attorney general position.
Despite facing minimal obstacles in the GOP-controlled Senate, her nomination has raised concerns among some legal analysts who warn that her strategies could impede the DOJ's ongoing efforts to safeguard voting rights and other protections for minority groups.
“She’ll bring a nontraditional approach to civil rights cases. She labels them as woke, as if to view them in a derogatory way,” commented Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
Dhillon’s law firm, the Dhillon Law Group Inc., and its nonprofit counterpart, the Center for American Liberty, have garnered attention for their legal challenges against California policies during the pandemic, securing several U.S. Supreme Court victories regarding the state's lockdown measures.
Her connection to Trump dates back even further. In 2019, she represented his campaign in a lawsuit aimed at blocking a California law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, that mandated presidential candidates disclose their tax returns to qualify for the primary ballot. Trump prevailed on constitutional grounds.
“I don’t care how you skin the cat, it’s an unconstitutional law,” Dhillon stated at that time.
Recently, Dhillon has actively engaged in cultural battles surrounding transgender rights in California and beyond. Her firm has filed lawsuits to contest state efforts that would have required school districts to inform parents if a student comes out as transgender. She is also representing a "detransition" activist suing a California hospital chain for alleged medical misconduct.
This focus may hint at how Dhillon would refocus the DOJ's position on civil rights matters linked to LGBTQ+ issues, including litigation concerning Title IX regulations that affect women's sports in federally funded schools.
Rick Chavez Zbur, a Democratic member of the California Assembly and attorney, criticized Dhillon’s nomination as “essentially giving the middle finger to the enforcement of civil rights in this country.” He expressed particular concern for LGBTQ+ individuals, undocumented youth, women needing abortion services, and the voting rights of people of color.
However, Ron Coleman, an attorney at Dhillon’s firm, contended that her handling of cases is not excessively partisan but rather rooted in fundamental beliefs against governmental overreach.
Coleman noted that Dhillon frequently communicates with Trump and is willing to express her disagreements with him. For instance, he anticipates that she would likely oppose any attempt to reinstate the now-defunct travel ban imposed by Trump on visitors from Muslim-majority countries during his first term.
“She manages to maintain relationships with very powerful people with very substantial egos without ever abandoning her role as a counselor who will tell them exactly what they need to hear — whether they like it or not,” Coleman explained.
Dhillon has been a notable figure in California Republican politics, previously chairing the state party and currently representing California on the Republican National Committee. She made a bid for the committee chair in 2023, though it was unsuccessful.
As a practicing Sikh born in India, Dhillon delivered a Sikh prayer onstage during both the 2016 and 2024 Republican National Conventions. Friends identify her upbringing in North Carolina within an immigrant minority community as a key factor in her strong commitment to civil rights, combined with a libertarian perspective.
“Resisting government overreach into people’s lives is just the fabric of who she is,” stated California Republican Party Vice Chair Corrin Rankin, a close friend of Dhillon’s and a client of her firm.
Rankin added: “It comes from her parents, it comes from her childhood. It really is embedded in her DNA.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
An attorney and Republican Party official residing in San Francisco, Dhillon has been instrumental in culture-war legal conflicts concerning diversity, free speech, and Covid-related closures, both in California and on a national level. Her unwavering loyalty to Trump has been evident from the outset.
Her ideology and history of championing notable conservative causes in California may indicate a significant change in the DOJ’s civil rights strategy, potentially reshaping conventional perceptions of which rights the division aims to protect.
“She certainly brings a different lens,” remarked Mark Geragos, a friend of Dhillon and a well-known Los Angeles trial attorney whose former clients include Hunter Biden and the Menendez brothers. “The civil rights division, to my mind, has kind of languished.”
Supporters have indicated that if confirmed by the Senate, Dhillon is likely to utilize the division's powers to scrutinize universities for alleged discrimination against Jewish or white students, challenge social media platforms accused of censoring conservative viewpoints, and ensure that left-leaning organizations are held accountable in incidents of political violence.
Dhillon opted not to comment for this article but expressed via Twitter that she was "extremely honored" by Trump's selection of her for the assistant attorney general position.
Despite facing minimal obstacles in the GOP-controlled Senate, her nomination has raised concerns among some legal analysts who warn that her strategies could impede the DOJ's ongoing efforts to safeguard voting rights and other protections for minority groups.
“She’ll bring a nontraditional approach to civil rights cases. She labels them as woke, as if to view them in a derogatory way,” commented Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
Dhillon’s law firm, the Dhillon Law Group Inc., and its nonprofit counterpart, the Center for American Liberty, have garnered attention for their legal challenges against California policies during the pandemic, securing several U.S. Supreme Court victories regarding the state's lockdown measures.
Her connection to Trump dates back even further. In 2019, she represented his campaign in a lawsuit aimed at blocking a California law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, that mandated presidential candidates disclose their tax returns to qualify for the primary ballot. Trump prevailed on constitutional grounds.
“I don’t care how you skin the cat, it’s an unconstitutional law,” Dhillon stated at that time.
Recently, Dhillon has actively engaged in cultural battles surrounding transgender rights in California and beyond. Her firm has filed lawsuits to contest state efforts that would have required school districts to inform parents if a student comes out as transgender. She is also representing a "detransition" activist suing a California hospital chain for alleged medical misconduct.
This focus may hint at how Dhillon would refocus the DOJ's position on civil rights matters linked to LGBTQ+ issues, including litigation concerning Title IX regulations that affect women's sports in federally funded schools.
Rick Chavez Zbur, a Democratic member of the California Assembly and attorney, criticized Dhillon’s nomination as “essentially giving the middle finger to the enforcement of civil rights in this country.” He expressed particular concern for LGBTQ+ individuals, undocumented youth, women needing abortion services, and the voting rights of people of color.
However, Ron Coleman, an attorney at Dhillon’s firm, contended that her handling of cases is not excessively partisan but rather rooted in fundamental beliefs against governmental overreach.
Coleman noted that Dhillon frequently communicates with Trump and is willing to express her disagreements with him. For instance, he anticipates that she would likely oppose any attempt to reinstate the now-defunct travel ban imposed by Trump on visitors from Muslim-majority countries during his first term.
“She manages to maintain relationships with very powerful people with very substantial egos without ever abandoning her role as a counselor who will tell them exactly what they need to hear — whether they like it or not,” Coleman explained.
Dhillon has been a notable figure in California Republican politics, previously chairing the state party and currently representing California on the Republican National Committee. She made a bid for the committee chair in 2023, though it was unsuccessful.
As a practicing Sikh born in India, Dhillon delivered a Sikh prayer onstage during both the 2016 and 2024 Republican National Conventions. Friends identify her upbringing in North Carolina within an immigrant minority community as a key factor in her strong commitment to civil rights, combined with a libertarian perspective.
“Resisting government overreach into people’s lives is just the fabric of who she is,” stated California Republican Party Vice Chair Corrin Rankin, a close friend of Dhillon’s and a client of her firm.
Rankin added: “It comes from her parents, it comes from her childhood. It really is embedded in her DNA.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
