Civil rights advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the U.S. Justice Department from closing the Community Relations Service (CRS), a 1960s-era office created to mediate racial and ethnic tensions across the country.
The suit, filed on Friday, challenges Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision to dissolve the CRS as part of a major departmental restructuring the largest at the Justice Department in 20 years.
Established under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and widely known as “America’s Peacemaker,” the CRS has long served as a neutral mediator in racial and community conflicts, helping to prevent violence and foster understanding.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the litigation. Earlier this month, it said the decision to close CRS and several other offices would save about $11 million and improve government efficiency.
Also Read:Â US Marines Probe Artillery Mishap at VP Vance EventÂ
However, the advocacy groups argue that the move is unlawful. In their filing, they accused the Justice Department of showing “hostility to CRS’s very existence” and acting unilaterally without congressional approval.
“Rather than engage with Congress to amend the law, defendants have decided to unilaterally dismantle CRS,” the lawyers said, adding that such action violates the separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act.
The plaintiffs maintain that dissolving CRS also breaches the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which established the service to handle community disputes arising from discrimination and inequality.
The case underscores growing tensions between civil rights advocates and the Justice Department over the future of federal programmes designed to address race relations in the United States.
