Vanita Gupta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vanita Gupta
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2021
|
|
| 19th United States Associate Attorney General | |
| In office April 22, 2021 – February 2, 2024 |
|
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Rachel Brand |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin C. Mizer (Acting) |
| United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division | |
| Acting October 20, 2014 – January 20, 2017 |
|
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Molly Moran |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Wheeler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 15, 1974 Media, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Chinh Le |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| Education | |
Vanita Gupta (born November 15, 1974) is an American lawyer and a leader in civil rights. She worked as the United States Associate Attorney General from April 2021 to February 2024. Before that, from 2014 to 2017, she was an Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division under President Barack Obama.
Gupta also served as a top lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). There, she led efforts to change the justice system. She also worked as a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Many people, including those with different political views and law enforcement groups, have supported her work. She helped bring people together to improve policing and the justice system. Before becoming Associate Attorney General, Gupta was the head of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gupta was born in Media, Pennsylvania. Her parents were immigrants from India. Her father, Rajiv L. Gupta, is a businessman.
As a child, Vanita's family moved often. She lived in the United Kingdom and France before returning to Philadelphia. She graduated from Yale University in 1996. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors.
Gupta says her time at Yale helped her find her "passion for social activism." In 2001, she earned her law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from New York University School of Law.
Fighting for Justice
Helping People at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
After law school, Gupta's first big case was with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. She helped 40 African Americans and six white or Latino people in Tulia, Texas. They had been accused of crimes by an undercover agent.
The agent, Tom Coleman, had little proof. He did not use wiretaps or marked money. Records showed his reports were not good. He also had past charges for minor offenses.
Gupta worked hard and won the release of her clients in 2003. They had been in jail for four years. She then helped them get a $6 million payment. In 2004, she received the Reebok Human Rights Award for her work.
Working at the ACLU
In 2007, Gupta became a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This lawsuit was about the conditions for children whose parents were seeking safety in the U.S.
In August 2007, the ACLU and ICE reached an agreement. Conditions at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center improved. Several children were also released from the center.
Later, Gupta became a deputy legal director at the ACLU. She led a national effort to reduce the number of people in jail. She worked with people from different political groups. Together, they pushed for changes to how trials and sentences work across the country.
Leading the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
In 2017, Gupta became the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. In this role, she spoke out about important issues. She talked about the need to end police brutality in the United States.
In June 2020, Gupta spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee. She discussed the need for police reform. She also worked to fight harmful false information online. She met with leaders of technology companies to talk about how to manage online content.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights (2014–2017)
In October 2014, President Barack Obama chose Gupta for an important job. She became the United States Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. This meant she led the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
Under Gupta's leadership, the Civil Rights Division worked to improve the justice system. They also worked to make sure police departments followed the law. They investigated police departments in cities like Ferguson, Missouri, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Chicago.
Gupta also oversaw many other efforts. These included:
- Investigating hate crimes and human trafficking.
- Promoting disability rights.
- Protecting LGBT rights.
- Fighting unfair treatment in education, jobs, housing, and voting.
During her time, the division also sued North Carolina. They said a state law treated transgender people unfairly. They also investigated the Baltimore Police Department. They found that the department's actions often violated people's rights.
Associate Attorney General (2021–2024)
Nomination and Confirmation
On January 7, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Gupta for a new role. She was chosen to be the United States Associate Attorney General. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing about her nomination.
Many groups supported her nomination. These included civil rights groups and law enforcement groups. Some well-known conservatives who had worked with her also supported her.
Some Republicans did not support her. They criticized her work as a civil rights advocate. The Senate voted to confirm Gupta on April 21, 2021. She was confirmed by a vote of 51 to 49.
Her Time in Office
Gupta started her new job on April 22, 2021. In April 2022, she announced a new project. It was called the National Law Enforcement Knowledge Lab. This project helps police agencies get information, guidance, and training. It aims to improve policing practices.
After a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Gupta helped review the police response. She worked with Attorney General Merrick Garland on this review.
Gupta also said the Justice Department would be tough on "killer acquisitions." These are when big companies buy smaller ones to stop competition.
In December 2021, Gupta announced a lawsuit against the state of Texas. The lawsuit said Texas's new voting district maps were unfair. In July 2023, she announced another lawsuit against Texas. This one was for putting floating barriers in the Rio Grande river without permission.
In January 2024, Gupta announced a third lawsuit against Texas. This lawsuit argued that a state law allowing local police to arrest people suspected of entering the U.S. unlawfully was against the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court allowed Texas to enforce the law temporarily in March 2024, while the lawsuit continued.
Gupta left her role as Associate Attorney General in February 2024.
Personal Life and Recognition
Gupta is married to Chinh Q. Le. He is a law professor. They have two sons. In 2022, Gupta received the Charles R. Richey Equal Justice Award. This award is from George Washington University Law School.
