Sat Jan 25 07:33:52 IST 2025: ## Trump Administration Halts Environmental Litigation, Reassigns Staff
**Washington D.C.** – The Trump administration has taken sweeping action against environmental enforcement, halting all pending environmental litigation and reassigning four senior Justice Department attorneys specializing in environmental law, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Four section chiefs within the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division were given 15 days to accept reassignment to a newly formed “Sanctuary City Working Group” or face unspecified consequences. These attorneys, who are career officials and not political appointees, oversaw crucial areas including natural resources, environmental enforcement, appeals, and environmental crimes. The division is responsible for prosecuting cases related to pollution, animal welfare, and public safety, as well as defending government agencies like the Department of the Interior and Energy.
Furthermore, four additional Justice Department employees focusing on environmental justice issues have been placed on paid administrative leave. This includes Cynthia Ferguson, head of the environmental justice office, and Lana Pettus, a prosecutor involved in high-profile cases. This action follows a broader administration order placing all federal employees working on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives on leave and eliminating related positions, including those focused on environmental justice.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on these developments. The moves come as the administration continues its broader reshaping of the federal workforce and follows a similar order halting all litigation within the Civil Rights Division. The freeze on environmental litigation mirrors President Trump’s long-standing skepticism towards climate change and his stated commitment to deregulation.
First Piper 