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- Continued From Page 6 www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Cover Story tary deal with the district, which agreed to staff trainings, better communication with parents, ongoing monitoring and other steps. “I felt a sigh of relief,” said Valeriah Big Eagle, a tribal member of the Ihanktonwan Dakota, who has three children in the district. She is one of the people who had complained to the federal authorities about what she saw as discrimination. “I was like, ‘Okay, maybe they’ll listen to the government.’ It made me feel something actually was going to be done.” But in March, the Trump administration notified the district that it was terminating the agreement – a move the district did not request, a spokeswoman said. The government cited elements of diversity, equity and inclu- sion in the agreement. It’s frightening and discouraging to Big Eagle, who hopes that district officials continue to implement chang- es but isn’t certain they will. “It feels like we’re back to square one,” she said. Meanwhile, cases involving police and fire depart- ments have been prime targets. In October, the Justice Department sued the Maryland state police, alleging that it discriminated against Black applicants by using a written test that was not job-related in its screening process: It tested for math, grammar, reading and reporting-writing skills. The department like- wise required a physical test that screened out a dispro- portionate number of female applicants. The state agreed to settle the case, committing to reforms that included finding alternatives to the written and physical tests in question. The consent order had been in place for only four months before the Justice Department backed out of the agreement. “American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedica- tion to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said of her decision in February. That day, she also announced three other dismissals involving police and fire departments accused of discrimination on similar grounds. In May, the Justice Department moved to drop police reform agreements with Minneapolis and Louisville, with Dhillon, the civil rights division head, asserting that they relied on “faulty legal theories.” Both cases used disparate impact analysis to allege that Black people were stopped, searched and arrested at disproportionate rates – and that race-neutral policies at both departments resulted in discriminatory policing. MORE TO COME The government moved to terminate cases involving two banks in Alabama and Tennessee that had agreed to court-monitored reforms tied to allegations of discrimi- natory lending practices. It also moved to dismiss a case in Kinloch, Missouri, against property managers accused of refusing to rent to prospective Black tenants at dispro- portionate rates. There are at least eight other housing and lending cases across seven states that are similarly candidates for dismissal, according to aWashington Post review. While the administration blamed the Biden adminis- tration for mishandling these cases, it has also dismissed cases going back decades. It did not directly concern disparate impact, but the Justice Department in April dismissed a 1966 consent order with a Louisiana school district concerning its desegregation efforts. At the Education Department, spokeswoman Madi Biedermann said the agency would review other resolu- tion agreements entered into during the Biden adminis- tration and “determine on a case-by-case basis if districts should be released from those agreements.” Other cases are vulnerable, legal experts say. Months before Trump returned to office, the EEOC sued the convenience store chain Sheetz, alleging that its practice of screening job applicants for criminal convictions – and then declining to hire them based on the results – dis- proportionately turned away Black, Native American and multiracial job seekers. The background checks were not consistent with a “business necessity” and therefore discriminatory, the agency argued at the time. So far, the case is moving forward, but legal observers say it is a prime target for dismissal. The EEOC has also entered into at least three consent decrees with employers that it accused of race, sex and disability discrimination – cases that relied on disparate impact analysis and could be subject to dismissal. The EEOC declined to comment. Without disparate impact, the government “would lose a tremendously important tool to remedy civil rights violations that exist and have existed in our country for years,” said Michael Pillera, who worked for a decade at the Office for Civil Rights before leaving in March to become director of the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. “Disparate impact is designed to give everyone a fair chance to suc- ceed.” He noted that the government has long relied on legal doctrines that incorporate disparate impact to bring dis- crimination cases. If those also were disavowed, he said, “that would leave very little actual civil rights framework standing.” - TheWashington Post Discrimination Cases, Settlements Being Reviewed At Civil Rights Division Headed By Harmeet Dhillon Illinois Asian American Leaders Come Out In Support Of Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s Bid For The US Senate M ore than a dozen leaders of the Asian American and Pacific Islander, AAPI, community from across Illinois, joined to endorse Congressman Raja Krish- namoorthi’s bid for the US Senate, June 2, 2025. The date of the primaries is yet to be announced and Krishnamoorthi is facing off against Democratic colleagues for his party’s nomination in the run up to the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. Upon his 2016 election, Krishnamoorthi became the first leader of Indian descent to rep- resent Illinois in Congress. Currently, there are no Indian American members of the US Senate. “As Chair of the Illinois Asian American Caucus, I am proud to stand with Raja today and endorse his campaign for the U.S. Senate! Throughout his career, Raja has been an outspo- ken champion for the AAPI community, and has dedicated much of his time in Congress to issues that are critically important to us, like immigra- tion, education, and healthcare,” State Repre- sentative Janet Yang Rohr is quoted saying in the press release from Krishnamoorthi’s campaign. “Congressman Raja understands the importance of representing AAPI communities throughout the state,”said State Representative Sharon Chung. “We need a Senator who has the experience to fight and win for Illinois. Raja has the track record and deep understand- ing ofWashington D.C. that will make him a superb U.S. Senator. I’m proud to join Team Raja!” “There’s this old saying: if you don’t have a seat at the table, then you’re on the menu,” Krishnamoorthi said. “In Congress, I’ve been fighting for nearly a decade to ensure that the AAPI community has that pro- verbial seat at the table, and in the U.S. Senate, I intend to keep up that fight to make our voice heard loud and clear, he added. “When our government looks like America, it can better serve all Americans. I am immensely proud to have the support of such incredible Illinois leaders and look forward to being the champion our community needs in the U.S. Sen- ate,” Krishnamoorthi said. AAPI leaders who have endorsed Krishnamoorthi include: •Aurora Alderman Shweta Baid •State Representative Sharon Chung (HD-91) •Streamwood Village Trustee Nazneen Hashmi •State Representative Hoan Huynh (HD-13) •Poplar Creek Public Library Board Trustee Asad Khan •Former Mayor of Oak Brook Gopal Lalmalani •Maine Township Highschool District 207 Board Member Jin Lee • State Representative Kevin Olickal (HD-16) • Lincolnwood Mayor Jesal Patel • Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati • Oak Brook Trustee Suresh Reddy • State Senator RamVillivalam (SD-08) • State Representative Janet Yang Rohr (HD-41) • Former Hanover Park Trustee Syed Hussaini By a StaffWriter PHOTO:Krishnamoorthi’s campaign On June 2, 2025 morning in Chicago’s Argyle neighborhood, Raja and State Representative Janet Yang Rohr celebrated the endorsement among community members. U.S. Affairs News India Times (June 7, 2025 - June 13, 2025) June 13, 2025 7