4.2: Civil Rights

Engage the public on civil rights.

Other Information:

The Department’s work in enforcing the civil rights of all Americans is core to its mission, and reinvigorating its Civil Rights Division is one of the Attorney General’s priorities. Yet while it has often been necessary to resort to the courtroom to protect civil rights, building a nation in which people are free from unlawful discrimination is not a goal that can be reached through litigation alone. Because many problems can be solved by engaging with the public directly, the Department will continue to convene a bi‐monthly meeting that brings together leaders from the Muslim, Arab, Sikh and South Asian communities with officials from across the federal government to discuss civil rights issues that have faced these communities since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The Department must also engage in extensive outreach to immigrant workers, educating them on their right to be free from discrimination based on immigration status; and to employers, educating them on the antidiscrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. And through its Project Civic Access, DOJ works with cities, counties, towns and villages across the country to ensure that their museums, polling places, sidewalks and other public facilities and services are accessible to all. These partnerships, and this outreach, have the capacity to bring about change that lawsuits cannot, and the Department must pursue them to fulfill its mission.

Stakeholder(s):

• The Public


• Civil Rights Division


• Muslim Community


• Arab Community


• Sikh Community


• South Asian Community

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

Content