Statement of Maya Wiley, President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, on the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) Hearing
I’d like to get right to the point: we are experiencing a coordinated attack on civil rights non-profits that work to ensure voters can vote, children can learn history, and unions can protect workers. First the Trump administration attacked law firms that provided pro bono services to civil rights and civil liberties groups, foundations that support civil rights work, and colleges and universities working to advance civil rights principles.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Board Chair on Just-Announced House Judiciary Hearing on Southern Poverty Law Center: “House Majority Aids Weaponization of DOJ Against Civil Rights Organizations”
Congressional Republicans are aiding and abetting the Department of Justice’s campaign of retribution against civil rights organizations and anyone who dares disagree with them. It began with law firms, universities, and even elected officials, and now extends to civil rights organizations, whose mission is to protect the public, uphold the Constitution, and make sure all Americans are able to enjoy the freedoms that make our country great.
Civil Rights Leaders Respond to Supreme Court Decision in Louisiana v. Callais
Today’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais is a defining moment for our democracy and a direct test of whether every American has an equal and effective voice in the political process. The Court has taken a dangerous step backward, weakening one of our nation’s most critical civil rights protections. By undermining Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, this decision makes it harder to challenge discriminatory maps and opens the door to further dilution of Black political power and the voices of communities of color.
The Leadership Conference Condemns Attacks on Civil Rights Movement
Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in reaction to news of another threat of legal intimidation against a member of the civil rights coalition, the Southern Poverty Law Center, as retaliation for doing the important work of protecting people from hate and discrimination
Why Harmeet Dhillon Should Not Be Elevated
Harmeet Dhillon was confirmed as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights on April 3, 2025, by a vote of 52 to 45, over the strong objections of civil rights organizations who warned that she had spent the bulk of her career actively working against the civil rights laws she would be confirmed to enforce. Her record before DOJ was clear. As a lawyer for the Trump campaign in post-2020 election litigation, she promoted unsubstantiated claims about election fraud. She opposed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, designed to ensure that voters would be protected from racial discrimination. She also filed more than ten unsuccessful lawsuits challenging California's voting programs. As we have said: "Harmeet Dhillon is not a civil rights lawyer and has no business leading the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.”