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Civil rights commission probes Trump cuts
Commission on Civil Rights to probe Trump administration enforcement
Story highlights
- The commission announced a two-year investigation into the Trump administration
- The agency cited proposed staff decreases in several departments and agencies in its reasons for the probe
Washington (CNN)The US Commission on Civil Rights announced
Friday that it will investigate the Trump administration's enforcement
of civil rights, saying it has concerns about the impact of proposed
budget and staff cuts across the federal government.
The
independent government agency, which is tasked with monitoring federal
civil rights enforcement, unanimously approved a two-year probe into
whether the cuts will allow federal civil rights offices to perform
their duties under the law.
"Along
with changing programmatic priorities, these proposed cuts would result
in a dangerous reduction of civil rights enforcement across the
country, leaving communities of color, LGBT people, older people, people
with disabilities, and other marginalized groups exposed to greater
risk of discrimination," the commission wrote in a statement announcing
the investigation.
The
commission cited proposed staff decreases in several departments and
agencies as well as the actions of the Justice Department and the
Education secretary in its reasons for taking the assessment. The
administration's budget would reduce money for civil rights-related
offices in several agencies, making cuts of 15% and 23% in some cases,
and would eliminate the EPA's Environmental Justice program and the
nonprofit Legal Services Corp., which supports civil legal aid for
low-income Americans, the commission said.
The
Justice, Education and Labor departments and the Environmental
Protection Agency were among seven agencies and departments that the
commission listed as of special concern.
The commission also criticized the Just Department's decision to place Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers at courthouses, saying it was a "dangerous impediment to access to justice for all Americans."
The
agency also said the revised priorities of the department's civil
rights division "do not mention the need for constitutional policing or
to combat discrimination against the LGBT community or people with
disabilities," adding that the budget request calls for cutting 121
positions, including 14 attorneys.
The commission also called out Education Secretary Betsy DeVos by name, citing her "repeated refusal"
in congressional testimony to promise that the department would enforce
federal civil rights laws. Further, the administration's proposed
budget would cut 46 staff positions at the department's civil rights
office, which investigates sex, race disability and age based
complaints, the statement said.
Committee
Chair Catherine E. Lhamon said in the statement on the investigation:
"For 60 years, Congress has charged the commission to monitor federal
civil rights enforcement and recommend necessary change. We take this
charge seriously, and we look forward to reporting our findings to
Congress, the President, and the American people."
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the commission's announcement.
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