The memorandum freezes any activity in the department, which is in charge of enforcing anti-discrimination laws. It orders the department not to bring new cases or accept settlements, and says the Justice Department may reconsider some settlements reached in the final months of the Biden administration.
That could affect an agreement reached with Minneapolis earlier this month that imposes reforms on the city’s police force. Federal investigators have found a pattern of civil rights violations following the killing of George Floyd by police officers.
It could also affect police reforms in Louisville, where investigators found a pattern of discrimination against African-American residents following the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor. That agreement was announced in December.
The Biden administration rushed to wrap up its police oversight activities before President Donald Trump took office.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
