The Justice Department moved Tuesday to join an ongoing federal lawsuit challenging an Evanston, Illinois, reparations program, arguing that the nation’s first municipal reparations initiative violates the Constitution by distributing benefits based on race and ancestry.In a filing submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the DOJ asked to intervene in Flinn v. City of Evanston, a lawsuit originally brought by conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch in May 2024. The complaint challenges Evanston’s reparations program, which provides housing-related benefits to certain black residents and descendants of black residents who were affected by past discriminatory housing policies.The Trump administration’s DOJ argued that the program’s eligibility criteria violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the federal Fair Housing Act. Federal attorneys also alleged that the city declined to cooperate with a civil rights investigation after receiving a DOJ notice in March.
Harmeet Dhillon, assistant Justice Department attorney for civil rights, said the program improperly distributes government benefits based on race and ancestry.
U.S. Justice Department Moves to Intervene in Race Discrimination Lawsuit Challenging Reparations Program in Evanston, Illinois“Under the pretext of paying reparations for events more than 100 years ago, the City of Evanston has chosen to distribute millions of dollars in cash… pic.twitter.com/SoyLXQr6Ur— DOJ Civil Rights Division (@CivilRights) June 16, 2026
