By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.-8) criticized the Trump administration for halting agreements that required police reforms in departments highlighted by the Justice Department for patterns of misconduct, a move that could significantly impact Black communities disproportionately affected by systemic issues in law enforcement.
“I don’t fully understand the rationale behind that particular executive order,” Jeffries told the AFRO. “I look forward to reviewing it, but it sounds like another effort to undermine the ability for there to be equal protection under the law in the United States of America.”
The decision to suspend reform agreements raises concerns among civil rights advocates, as these agreements often target police departments with documented histories of racial bias and excessive use of force—issues that disproportionately harm Black Americans.
While U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.-19) voiced support for the administration’s reassessment.
“If General Bondi decides to go through these agreements and is able to pause them, that’s an appropriate thing to do, but we’ll see where we go from there,” said the Florida lawmaker.
“When you have a new administration come in, like we saw with the previous administration, there were a lot of pauses to the specific agreements you’re talking about,” Donalds told the AFRO. “It depends on the granular nature or lack thereof of the investigation by the Merrick Garland DOJ. And let’s just be perfectly clear, the Merrick Garland DOJ has many credibility issues.”
In a memo issued Jan. 22 , acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle wrote, “The new administration may choose to reassess settlements and consent decrees that were negotiated and approved under the previous administration.”
This decision could directly disrupt reforms in cities like Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky—places where high-profile incidents of police brutality against Black residents sparked national outrage. The Justice Department under the Biden administration had worked to finalize agreements in both cities to address systemic failures within their police forces.
The agreement in Louisville, finalized in December, followed an investigation into the city’s police department after the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman, during a botched raid in 2020. The proposed reforms included requirements for officers to “utilize proper de-escalation methods” and avoid unnecessary use of force.
Similarly, the agreement with Minneapolis sought to address patterns of racial bias and excessive force uncovered after the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a police officer in 2020. Among other measures, it proposed reforms to “prevent excessive force, end racially biased policing, improve interactions with young people,” and “safeguard the public’s First Amendment rights.”
For many in the Black community, these reforms represent a critical step toward accountability in law enforcement and safety for vulnerable populations. Suspending these agreements undercuts efforts to repair strained relationships between police and Black communities, who disproportionately experience the consequences of police misconduct.
President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have long opposed the use of court-mandated consent decrees as a tool for reforming police practices, favoring a “back the blue” stance that prioritizes law enforcement even in cases of misconduct. Critics argue that this approach effectively shields problematic officers from accountability while leaving communities of color exposed to harm.
As the agreements in Minneapolis and Louisville remain pending before judges, the Justice Department’s memo could enable the Trump administration to reverse or weaken the deals. This echoes previous efforts during Trump’s first term to derail similar reforms, such as the Obama-era consent decree in Baltimore after the killing of Freddie Gray, another Black man, in police custody.
For Black communities, the potential rollback of reforms represents not just a setback in addressing police misconduct but also a broader message about the administration’s priorities. Advocates worry this could deepen mistrust in the justice system and signal a lack of commitment to addressing systemic racism.