A dramatic wave of resignations is shaking the foundation of the U.S. Justice Department as nearly two-thirds of the lawyers in the elite unit defending former President Donald Trump’s most controversial policies have either quit or announced plans to leave. According to internal tallies obtained by Reuters, 69 of the approximately 110 attorneys in the DOJ’s Federal Programs Branch are heading for the exits.
The departures, many of them quiet and voluntary, come as the unit faces a staggering caseload, including legal battles over Trump’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship and slash billions in funding to institutions like Harvard University. At least 10 of the branch’s 23 supervisors, many of them longtime DOJ litigators who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, are among those who’ve left.
Cracks in the Legal Wall Holding Trump’s Agenda
The Federal Programs Branch plays a critical role: it’s the first line of defense for federal policies challenged in court. Now, the unit is fraying under pressure. Interviews with seven people familiar with the resignations reveal deep concerns over ethics, workloads, and the direction of the Trump administration.
Some lawyers reportedly feared being forced to argue in court using questionable legal reasoning or distorted facts — a violation of professional rules that could endanger their licenses. Others said they couldn’t justify spending their careers defending policies they believed undermined the Constitution.
A Unit Under Siege, Rebuilt from the Inside Out
While some turnover is expected with a new presidential term, insiders say this level of attrition is unprecedented. In response, the DOJ has begun temporarily reassigning lawyers from other divisions and has exempted the unit from the federal hiring freeze. It has also brought in about 15 political appointees — many with deep ties to conservative causes — to help manage the caseload.
But critics warn this is more than just a staffing issue. They say the loss of institutional knowledge and legal restraint could turn the branch into a rubber stamp for unchecked executive authority.
Politics, Pressure, and a Growing Divide
Attorney General Pam Bondi has intensified internal pressure, warning DOJ lawyers they must advocate forcefully for the president’s agenda, regardless of personal views. In a February memo, she reminded staff that personal political views could not override election outcomes.
That warning followed the dismissal of a senior supervisor in the Office of Immigration Litigation, who alleged in a whistleblower complaint that he was pushed to make unsupported legal arguments in deportation cases. DOJ officials denied the allegations, but many lawyers said the message was received: defend or disappear. According to a former Federal Programs Branch attorney, you either fall in line or fall out.
Looking Ahead – What This Means for Immigrants and the Courts
As the Trump administration fights to preserve its legal footprint, immigrant communities are bracing for the fallout. Key legal battles over birthright citizenship, civil rights enforcement, and access to education are now unfolding under a DOJ leadership struggling with morale, turnover, and trust. Despite the chaos, the Department has vowed to continue defending the president’s agenda in court. A spokesperson said the DOJ has already notched key wins at the Supreme Court and remains confident in its legal team. Still, for many immigration advocates and legal observers, the question is no longer just about what Trump’s policies say, but whether anyone left in the DOJ is still willing to question them.
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Resources
- https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/two-thirds-doj-unit-defending-trump-policies-court-have-quit-2025-07-14/
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/two-thirds-of-the-department-of-justice-unit-defending-trumps-policies-in-court-have-quit/articleshow/122436166.cms?from=mdr
- https://www.thedailybeast.com/exhausted-doj-team-defending-trump-in-court-hit-by-mass-exodus/
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