The
U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is the institution within the federal government responsible for enforcing federal statutes prohibiting
discrimination on the basis of
race
Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to:
* Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species
* Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
,
sex, disability,
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
, and national origin. The Division was established on December 9, 1957, by order of Attorney General
William P. Rogers, after the
Civil Rights Act of 1957 created the office of
Assistant Attorney General
Many of the divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice are headed by an assistant attorney general.
The president of the United States appoints individuals to the position of assistant attorney general with the advice and ...
for Civil Rights, who has since then headed the division. The head of the Civil Rights Division is an Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights (AAG-CR) appointed by the President.
Kristen Clarke is the current Assistant Attorney General, the first woman to be confirmed by the Senate for the position.
Organization
* Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
** Appellate Section
** Coordination and Review Section
** Criminal Section
** Disability Rights Section
** Educational Opportunities Section
** Employment Litigation Section
** Housing and Civil Enforcement Section
** Immigrant and Employee Rights Section
** Policy & Strategy Section
** Special Litigation Section
** Voting Section
Jurisdiction
The Division enforces
* the Civil Rights Acts of
1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year ...
,
1960,
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...
, and
1968
* the
Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended through 2006
* the
Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974
* the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...
* the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993
* the
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009
* the
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986
* the
Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act
The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act (VAEHA) P.L. 98-435, , is a United States law passed in 1984 that mandates easy access for handicapped and elderly person to voter registration and polling places during Federal electi ...
of 1984
* the
Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act
The Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) of 1980 is a United States federal law intended to protect the rights of people in state or local correctional facilities, nursing homes, mental health facilities, group homes and institu ...
of 1980, which authorizes the Attorney General to seek relief for persons confined in public institutions where conditions exist that deprive residents of their constitutional rights
* the
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994
* the Police Misconduct Provision of the
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
* the
Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act
The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), , codified as et seq., is a United States federal law that prohibits the imposition of burdens on the ability of prisoners to worship as they please and gives churches and oth ...
of 2000
* the
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, Pub. L. No. 103-141, 107 Stat. 1488 (November 16, 1993), codified at through (also known as RFRA, pronounced "rifra"), is a 1993 United States federal law that "ensures that interests in religiou ...
of 1993
* Section 102 of the
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA or the Simpson–Mazzoli Act) was passed by the 99th United States Congress and signed into law by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on November 6, 1986.
The Immigration Reform and Control Act altered U.S ...
(IRCA), as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin and citizenship status as well as document abuse and retaliation under the
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.
In addition, the Division prosecutes actions under several criminal civil rights statutes which were designed to preserve personal liberties and safety.
Assistant Attorneys General
:'' denotes head that served as acting Assistant Attorney General''
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Civil rights movement
Civil rights organizations in the United States
Human rights organizations based in the United States
Government agencies established in 1957
Civil Rights Division
The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is the institution within the federal government responsible for enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and national origin. T ...