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U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to investigate civil rights enforcement under Trump

June 16, 2017 at 5:33 p.m. EDT
Catherine E. Lhamon speaks during the GLSEN Respect Awards in New York in May 2016. At the time, she headed the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. She now chairs the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights voted Friday to investigate federal civil rights enforcement under President Trump, with the majority expressing “grave concerns” about the Trump administration’s proposal to cut spending and staffing on civil rights efforts at multiple agencies.

“Along with changing programmatic priorities, these proposed cuts would result in a dangerous reduction of civil rights enforcement across the country, leaving communities of color, LGBT people, older people, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups exposed to greater risk of discrimination,” the commission, an independent watchdog created by Congress, said in a statement of concern approved on a 6 to 2 vote.