Overview

• The Civil Rights Division formally dismissed the Luevano v. Ezell consent decree, ending a requirement that agencies obtain court approval before using applicant tests to enforce racial outcomes.
• Enacted in 1981, the order had eliminated a standardized hiring exam and created special tracks like the Outstanding Scholar and Bilingual/Bicultural programs for Black and Hispanic applicants.
• Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon called the decree an “outdated barrier” and said its removal restores hiring based solely on competence and character.
• Since January, the administration revoked Johnson-era affirmative action orders and issued new directives barring diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federally funded entities.
• Federal agencies can now reinstate traditional applicant exams without special court review, ending self-assessment procedures that critics say encouraged misrepresentation.