The Trump administration’s Department of Justice has moved to revoke federal police reform agreements in Louisville and Minneapolis. Crockett’s emotional response on social media suggested the decision disrespects the memories of Taylor and Floyd. What factual evidence did Harmeet Dhillon respond to Crockett with?
Federal Retreat from Police Reform Agreements
The Department of Justice under the Trump administration has initiated steps to terminate federal police reform agreements with Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. These consent decrees were originally negotiated during the Biden administration following investigations into the police departments after the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in 2020.
The agreements had faced delays in federal court, with the DOJ requesting extensions for filing necessary documentation. According to court filings, the Trump DOJ now argues that both local governments have already sufficiently reformed their police departments, making federal oversight redundant and unnecessary.
BREAKING: The Justice Department said it is moving to drop police reform agreements reached with the cities of Louisville and Minneapolis, which were intended to address allegations of systemic unconstitutional policing and civil rights violations. https://t.co/sXzaIIlS8r
— ABC News (@ABC) May 21, 2025
Crockett’s Outrage Meets Dhillon’s Rebuttal
Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas expressed strong objection to the decision on social media, writing: “The (Biden) DOJ found that police in Louisville and Minneapolis were violating people’s civil rights—so they created a plan to fix it, with rules the departments had to follow. Now Trump’s DOJ wants to shut it down… like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd’s lives didn’t mean a damn thing.” Her statement reflected the position that federal oversight remains necessary to ensure proper reforms are implemented.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon quickly responded to Crockett’s criticism with a fact-based rebuttal. “Congresswoman, educate yourself. Minnesota is already under a state consent decree, and Louisville is hiring its own monitor,” Dhillon stated, highlighting that both cities have already changed their police practices without federal involvement.
The DOJ found that police in Louisville and Minneapolis were violating people’s civil rights—so they created a plan to fix it, with rules the departments had to follow.
Now Trump’s DOJ wants to shut it down… like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd’s lives didn’t mean a damn thing.… https://t.co/4UaeUVzbtE
— Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (@RepJasmine) May 21, 2025
Philosophical Divide on Governance
The exchange between Crockett and Dhillon underscores a fundamental philosophical difference regarding the role of the federal government in local policing matters. Democrats have generally favored federal oversight and intervention to address systemic issues in policing, particularly in cases involving racial justice concerns.
Republicans, as represented by Dhillon’s position, tend to emphasize state and local control over federal mandates. “The Federal Government is not the answer to everything– hardly anything, in fact!” Dhillon remarked, reinforcing the Trump administration’s approach of limiting federal intervention in matters traditionally handled by state and local authorities.
Minneapolis officials have indicated they will continue with police reforms despite the DOJ’s withdrawal from the agreement. Louisville is reportedly moving forward with hiring its monitor to oversee continued implementation of police reforms, demonstrating that local commitment to change may persist regardless of federal involvement.
The decision represents a clear policy shift under the Trump administration toward empowering local governance in police reform efforts. As Dhillon pointed out, both cities are proceeding with accountability measures through alternative means: Minneapolis through a state-level consent decree and Louisville through local monitoring initiatives.
Rep. Crockett has not publicly responded to Dhillon’s rebuttal as of this reporting. The debate highlights the ongoing national conversation about the appropriate balance between federal oversight and local control in addressing police misconduct and implementing sustainable reforms in law enforcement agencies across the country.