The Justice Department announced it had ended its watchdog role in more than 50 school desegregation cases, mostly in the Deep South, marking a significant shift in the Trump administration's civil rights enforcement. Justice Department records showed that 57 desegregation orders have been dismissed since President Trump's second term began, with nearly 80 percent in five Southern states: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Critics argue the changes move the nation 'back toward the Jim Crow era,' while DOJ officials maintain the decrees are outdated. **Harmeet K.

Dhillon**, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, stated that long-standing federal oversight no longer reflects classroom realities and that local districts can redirect taxpayer dollars to students. The policy pivot has deeply polarized civil rights advocates, with groups like the N. A.

A. C. O. contending that desegregation orders mandate equal funding, quality facilities, and fair AP program access.

As of last year, over 130 school systems remained under desegregation orders.