President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to end what it calls “lowered standards” in public safety hiring by dismissing multiple lawsuits against police and fire departments. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had withdrawn several Biden-era cases that challenged race-neutral hiring requirements, such as written exams, physical tests, and credit checks.
The lawsuits, originally filed by the DOJ under the Biden administration, alleged discrimination in hiring practices and sought compensation or preferential hiring for applicants who were not selected. The Trump administration argues that these cases undermined public safety by forcing agencies to alter their merit-based hiring processes.
Among the dismissed cases was United States v. City of Durham, which targeted firefighter hiring exams in North Carolina, and United States v. Maryland State Police, which challenged written and physical exams for law enforcement applicants. Similar lawsuits were dropped against Cobb County, Georgia, and South Bend, Indiana, where firefighter and police departments required applicants to complete aptitude tests and background checks.
Trump’s administration has emphasized a return to merit-based hiring in public safety roles, rejecting diversity, equity, and inclusion policies it views as “divisive race-based obsessions.” In a statement, the president reiterated his stance that “Americans deserve the best of the best keeping them safe.”
The move aligns with broader efforts by the Trump administration to roll back workplace policies it sees as unfairly prioritizing demographic considerations over individual qualifications. Supporters argue the change will reinforce high professional standards in policing and firefighting, while critics may see it as a setback to diversity efforts in public service roles.
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