US Justice Department Drops Police Reform Agreements Minneapolis,Louisville

The U.S. Justice Department announced it will withdraw from police reform agreements, known as consent decrees, in Minneapolis and Louisville, cities central to high-profile cases involving George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. This decision, made under the leadership of Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, involves dismissing pending litigation and retracting prior findings of constitutional violations against these police departments, as well as closing investigations into other departments nationwide. Dhillon criticized the consent decrees as overbroad federal micromanagement that removes local control and hampers law enforcement recruitment and retention. The move has been widely condemned by civil rights advocates and local officials like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who sees it as a setback to ongoing reform efforts and a disrespectful timing coinciding with the fifth anniversary of Floyd's death. Despite federal withdrawal, local leaders and police officials reaffirmed their commitment to continuing reforms independently. The rollback marks a significant shift from prior Biden administration policies, aligning more closely with the Trump administration's stance against federal oversight of local policing.