Advancement Project Responds to Trump Administration’s Motion To End Oversight of Local Police Accused of Abuse

May 21, 2025

Washington, DC — Just days before the five-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said it planned to drop lawsuits against police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, as well as end investigations into patterns and practices of unconstitutional police behavior including use of excessive force, discrimination against Black people, and free speech violations.

Carmen Daugherty, deputy executive director of Advancement Project, issued this statement:

“The Trump administration’s push to dismiss these consent decrees is no coincidence. Five years ago, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd by kneeling on his neck—a tragedy that sparked a federal investigation into the city’s police department and led to a consent decree aimed at addressing some of the unconstitutional and inhumane police practices. This latest move is a calculated attempt to roll back hard-fought gains and reclaim power in the wake of the 2020 uprisings.

Consent decrees have never been a solution to the deep-rooted violence of policing. They have merely offered a thin layer of oversight while leaving the core of the system intact. But even that limited oversight is now under threat. The federal government’s move to dismantle these agreements signals yet another attempt to shield police departments from accountability. Time and again, police have proven they are incapable of transforming themselves. Real safety won’t come from monitoring a broken system. Safety comes from investing in communities and dismantling the structures that perpetuate harm.

Our communities deserve real accountability for police violence and not empty promises or performative reforms. We will keep organizing, building power, and demanding a world where our people are truly safe and free—beyond policing, beyond punishment.”

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Advancement Project is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change. We are a co-convener of the National Campaign for Police Free schools, a formation of 20+ youth-led grassroots organizations fighting to end the criminalization of youth in the classroom, create liberatory educational spaces, and implement an affirmative vision of safety and transformative justice. Visit www.advancementproject.org to learn more.