Trump Administration Halts Police Reform Agreements Reached Under Biden

The Trump administration is placing a cease to federal agreements aimed toward reforming police departments in cities like Minneapolis and Louisville. These agreements, referred to as consent decrees, have been reached through the ultimate weeks of the Biden administration after investigations uncovered widespread police misconduct in each cities.

The halt, introduced in a memo from performing Affiliate Lawyer Common Chad Mizelle, freezes any settlements or agreements made earlier than Trump took workplace on January 20, 2025. Mizelle additionally ordered the Division of Justice (DOJ) to cease finalizing or submitting new reform agreements till additional discover.

Consent decrees are legally binding agreements between the federal authorities and native police departments to implement reforms. They’re used when investigations discover patterns of misconduct, comparable to extreme use of pressure or racial discrimination. These agreements sometimes define particular modifications police departments should make, like bettering accountability and coaching, to deal with systemic points.

The agreements in query for Louisville and Minneapolis have been designed to deal with misconduct uncovered after two high-profile instances: the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville and the 2020 homicide of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The consent decree with Louisville adopted a prolonged investigation into town’s police division after Breonna Taylor’s deadly capturing throughout a botched raid. The proposed reforms included requiring officers to make use of de-escalation strategies, keep away from pointless pressure, and maintain officers accountable for misconduct by means of truthful and constant self-discipline.

The Minneapolis settlement got here after a federal investigation discovered its police division engaged in extreme pressure and racial discrimination, notably within the wake of George Floyd’s loss of life. The reforms centered on stopping extreme pressure, eliminating racially biased policing, defending First Modification rights, and bettering interactions with youth.

Each agreements had but to be authorised by federal judges, leaving them susceptible to modifications by the Trump administration.

Why Is the Trump Administration Blocking These Reforms?

The Trump administration has lengthy opposed consent decrees, arguing they unfairly punish police departments and hinder officers’ skill to do their jobs. Throughout his marketing campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to “back the blue,” signaling sturdy assist for regulation enforcement even in instances involving misconduct.

In his first time period, Trump’s DOJ equally tried to dam a consent decree for the Baltimore Police Division, although a federal decide finally rejected the transfer.

Mizelle’s memo instructed DOJ attorneys to halt all new authorized actions associated to consent decrees and to inform him of any agreements finalized up to now 90 days. Whereas new administrations usually evaluate pending litigation to make sure it aligns with their insurance policies, authorized consultants say Trump’s actions are broader than common, probably signaling a full-scale rejection of federal police reform efforts.

The choice to halt these agreements may stall much-needed reforms in each cities. With out consent decrees, police departments might not face the identical degree of accountability or stress to deal with systemic points.

This isn’t the primary time a Trump administration has tried to dam consent decrees. In 2017, Trump’s DOJ tried to scrap a take care of the Baltimore Police Division after it had been negotiated beneath President Obama. A federal decide, nonetheless, dominated that the settlement should transfer ahead, saying the DOJ’s objections got here too late.