Harmeet Dhillon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harmeet Dhillon
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Dhillon in 2021
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| United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Nominee |
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| Assuming office TBD |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Succeeding | Kristen Clarke |
| Republican National Committeewoman from California |
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| Assumed office July 19, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Linda Ackerman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Harmeet Kaur Dhillon
1969 (age 55–56) Chandigarh, India |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
D. Singh
(m. 1989; div. 1991)Kanwarjit Singh
(m. 1994; div. 2004)Sarvjit Randhawa
(m. 2011; died 2024) |
| Education | Dartmouth College (BA) University of Virginia (JD) |
Harmeet Kaur Dhillon (born in 1969) is an American lawyer and a leader in the Republican Party. She used to be the vice chair of the California Republican Party. She is also a National Committeewoman for California on the Republican National Committee.
Harmeet Dhillon started her own law firm called Dhillon Law Group Inc. In 2018, she helped create a group called the Center for American Liberty. This group works on legal cases related to civil liberties, which are the rights and freedoms of people. She often appears as a guest on Fox News.
During the coronavirus pandemic, she filed many lawsuits. These lawsuits tried to stop rules like stay-at-home orders and other restrictions. She also spoke against face mask rules. She wanted the economy to reopen and was against mail-in voting.
In January 2023, Dhillon ran to become the chair of the Republican National Committee. She ran against Ronna McDaniel but did not win. In December 2024, Donald Trump chose Dhillon for a new role. He nominated her to be the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
Harmeet Dhillon was born in Chandigarh, India, in 1969. Her family belongs to the Punjabi Sikh community. When she was a child, her family moved to the United States. Her father, Tejpal Singh Dhillon, became an orthopedic surgeon there.
Dhillon went to elementary school in The Bronx, New York. Later, her family settled in Smithfield, North Carolina.
Education and Early Career
After finishing high school at age 16, Harmeet Dhillon went to Dartmouth College. She became a writer for The Dartmouth Review, a student newspaper. Eventually, she became its editor-in-chief.
While she was editor, a column in The Review caused some debate. It strongly criticized the college's President and his policies. Dhillon said the column was trying to show how some policies were unfair to conservative students. She explained that the column aimed to highlight what they saw as "liberal fascism." She also stated that the column did not intend to make light of historical tragedies.
After graduating from Dartmouth, she went to law school. She earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. There, she was part of the editorial board for the Virginia Law Review. After law school, she worked for Judge Paul Victor Niemeyer. He was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Legal Work and Public Roles
Legal Advice for Campaigns
Harmeet Dhillon was a legal adviser for the Trump campaign in 2020. During the 2020 election, the Trump campaign claimed there was voter fraud. Dhillon said the campaign hoped the Supreme Court would help Trump win.
Protecting Civil Liberties
Dhillon became a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in northern California. This happened after the September 11 attacks. She worked on cases involving unfair treatment against Sikhs and other South Asian people. She served on the board for three years.
Political Journey
Early Political Campaigns
In 2008, Dhillon ran for a seat in the California State Assembly. She did not win, getting 17% of the votes in a district that usually votes for Democrats. She also ran for the California Senate in 2012 but was not successful. She served as the chair of the San Francisco Republican Party.
Roles in the Republican Party
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In 2013, Dhillon was chosen to be on the California Republican Party's Board. In 2016, she became a national committeewoman for the Republican National Committee. She also gave the opening prayer at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
In early 2017, Dhillon was considered for a role in the Department of Justice. She interviewed to be the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. However, she was not chosen for that position at the time.
Dhillon helped lead an effort to remove Chad Mayes as the Republican leader in the California State Assembly in August 2017. On July 11, 2019, Dhillon spoke at President Trump's "Social Media Summit." She is also a co-chair of "Women for Trump." She has said that Laura Ingraham has been a "long-time mentor" to her.
Recent Political Activities
In December 2022, Dhillon announced she would run for chairperson of the Republican National Committee. She wanted to replace Ronna McDaniel. In January 2023, Dhillon faced some challenges during her campaign. On January 27, 2023, she lost to McDaniel in a vote of 111 to 51.
Dhillon performed a Sikh prayer called the Ardās at the 2024 Republican National Convention. In October 2024, Dhillon was interviewed by Tucker Carlson on The Tucker Carlson Show. They talked about criticisms of Kamala Harris's political and legal career. Also in October 2024, the Arizona Republican Party chose Dhillon to lead their election integrity efforts.
On December 9, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Dhillon for a new role. She was chosen to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the Department of Justice. If she is confirmed for this role, she will be the first Republican woman and the first Republican of Indian descent to lead this division.
Personal Life
Harmeet Dhillon was married to Sarvjit Singh Randhawa for 16 years. Randhawa passed away in 2024 after dealing with Parkinson's disease and cancer.
Images for kids
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Dhillon in 2021
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Dhillon with President Donald Trump in 2019
