Meet Chandigarh’s Harmeet Dhillon, Named Assistant Attorney General By Trump

US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Indian-American Harmeet K Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice. “I am pleased to nominate Harmeet K. Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the US Department of Justice,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

Ms Dhillon, an accomplished attorney, has made headlines for her legal battles against big tech companies, her defence of religious freedom during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her challenges to corporate policies she deems discriminatory, Trump said.

Who is Harmeet Dhillon?

1. Born in Chandigarh, Harmeet K Dhillon moved to the US as a child with her family. She graduated from Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia Law School.
2. Ms Dhillon clerked for Hon. Paul V. Niemeyer at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She practised law in New York, London, and the San Francisco Bay Area, focusing on federal and state commercial litigation, arbitration, and intellectual property matters.
3. In 2006, she founded her law firm, Dhillon Law Group Inc., specialising in commercial litigation, employment law, First Amendment rights, and election law. She is now the firm’s Founding partner. She is also the CEO of the Centre for American Liberty.
4. Ms Dhillon gained recognition for her battles against big tech companies for alleged censorship of free speech. She represented clients in election and campaign law matters, including compliance, ballot description contests, and intellectual property disputes related to campaign communications. She also advocated for religious freedoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and challenged corporate policies she considered discriminatory. She unsuccessfully ran for the position of Republican National Committee chairmanship in 2023.
5. In 2016, Ms Dhillon became the first Indian-American to appear on the stage of the GOP Convention in Cleveland. She recited ‘Ardas’ at the Republican National Convention in 2024, following which she faced racial attacks. She is an active member of the Sikh religious community and a defender of civil rights.