SPLC Action: Next Attorney General Must Rebuild Justice Department & Refocus on Justice for All

Montgomery, Ala. — SPLC Action Fund President and CEO Margaret Huang released the statement below following reports that President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Merrick Garland, the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, as his Attorney General:

“Over the last four years, the Department of Justice has suffered greatly due to unprecedented politicization by the Trump administration and its appointees. These efforts have sought to turn the department into a political arm focused on supporting Trump’s ideological and personal whims rather than ensuring the fair and impartial administration of justice. 

“If confirmed, Judge Garland must work diligently to repair the damage the Trump administration has done to the department and prioritize addressing the enormous challenges that threaten the rule of law. This includes supporting a fundamental reimagining of policing with a deep reinvestment in community-based programs, reinvigorating the Department’s Civil Rights Division, strongly enforcing the Voting Rights Act and other federal anti-discrimination laws, and supporting decarceration by reducing the federal prison population.

“In addition, he should promote rather than undermine the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers, including by ending the needless criminalization of immigrants, restoring protections for asylum seekers, and undoing the weaponization of the immigration court system.

“In 2016, President Obama had nominated Judge Garland to the Supreme Court of the United States, but Senate Republicans prevented him from even receiving a confirmation hearing, effectively stealing the seat. The unprecedented refusal of a Senate majority to consider Judge Garland’s nomination was the culmination of years of obstructionism led by soon-to-be Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“Our nation has tangibly suffered from the fact that the attorney general, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, and U.S. Attorneys across the country have failed to meaningfully combat the rising tide of hate groups, armed extremists, and white supremacist groups like the Proud Boys. Judge Garland, with the full support of the president, must now take immediate and aggressive steps to reimagine how we can truly become a more just and equitable nation.”