The Trump administration reverses police reform agreements in major US cities, marking a significant policy shift. Federal oversight deals from the Biden era will now be scrapped. These agreements were originally created after national protests against police brutality.
Minneapolis and Louisville are among the cities most affected by this decision. Both had seen high-profile police killings that led to public outrage. The Justice Department said the reforms imposed “years of micromanagement” on local forces.
On Wednesday, officials confirmed that investigations into police abuses in six other cities will also end. Cities like Phoenix and Memphis will see federal cases dropped. At the same time, lawsuits against police in Louisville and Minneapolis will be dismissed.
These changes come just before the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in 2020, sparking a nationwide reckoning on race and policing. His death led to major reform efforts under the Biden administration.
The Trump administration, however, criticized those reforms as excessive. Harmeet K Dhillon from the Justice Department’s civil rights division said the agreements “handcuffed” police departments. She argued the reforms relied on flawed data and poor methodology.
The Department of Justice had investigated 12 law enforcement agencies since 2021. Four probes found systemic abuse in cities like Minneapolis and Louisville. Reports recommended changes such as increased accountability and better training.
Those recommendations followed other tragic incidents. Breonna Taylor, a hospital worker in Louisville, was killed in 2020 during a no-knock raid. An officer was later convicted of using excessive force in her death.
However, none of the proposed Biden-era agreements were formally enacted. The Trump administration has now decided to withdraw them entirely. The move also reflects broader turmoil within the civil rights division.
According to former officials, about 70% of the division’s attorneys have resigned. Many cited concerns over the administration’s new direction and priorities. Critics fear this shift could stall progress on civil rights and police accountability.
Still, the Trump administration reverses police reform in a bid to empower local control over law enforcement. As public debate continues, many civil rights advocates are calling the rollback deeply troubling.
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