Vanita Gupta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vanita Gupta
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| 19th United States Associate Attorney General | |
| In office April 22, 2021 – February 2, 2024 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Rachel Brand |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin C. Mizer (Acting) |
| United States Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights | |
| Acting October 20, 2014 – January 20, 2017 |
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| 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 |
| Relatives | Rajiv L. Gupta (father) |
| Education | Yale University (BA) New York University (JD) |
Vanita Gupta (born November 15, 1974) is an American lawyer. She worked as the United States Associate Attorney General from 2021 to 2024. Before that, from 2014 to 2017, she was the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division under President Barack Obama.
Vanita Gupta is known for her work in civil rights. She has helped change how the justice system works. She worked at the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Many people, from different political groups, respect her efforts to improve policing and justice.
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Early Life and Education
Vanita Gupta was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her parents came from India. Her father, Rajiv L. Gupta, is a businessman. He is the chairman of a car parts company called Aptiv.
As a child, Vanita's family moved often. She lived in the United Kingdom and France before coming back to Philadelphia. She went to Yale University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She says her time at Yale made her passionate about helping others. In 2001, she earned her law degree from New York University School of Law.
Fighting for Justice
Early Legal Work
After law school, Vanita Gupta worked for the Legal Defense Fund. Her first big case was in Tulia, Texas. It involved 40 African Americans and six white or Latino people. They were accused of crimes based on only one undercover agent's word.
The agent had not used wiretaps or marked money. His reports were not very good. Vanita Gupta helped her clients get out of jail in 2003. She then helped them get a $6 million payment. In 2004, she received the Reebok Human Rights Award for her work.
Work at the ACLU
In 2007, Vanita Gupta joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This lawsuit was about the poor conditions for children whose parents were seeking asylum. In 2007, the ACLU and ICE reached an agreement. Conditions at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center got better, and some children were released.
Later, she became a top legal director at the ACLU. She led a national effort to end mass incarceration. This means trying to reduce the number of people in jail. She worked with different groups to make changes to how people are arrested and sentenced.
Leading 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 against unfair practices. She criticized the government's response to the Charlottesville rally. She also spoke about the need to end police brutality in the United States after the murder of George Floyd.
She also worked with tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg to fight against harmful online misinformation. She left this role in 2021 when she was nominated for a new government position.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights (2014–2017)
In October 2014, President Barack Obama chose Vanita Gupta for a big 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 her leadership, the Civil Rights Division worked to improve policing. They investigated police departments in cities like Ferguson, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Chicago. They helped these departments make changes to follow the law.
Gupta's team also worked on many other important issues. They prosecuted hate crimes and human trafficking. They protected the rights of people with disabilities and LGBT individuals. They also fought against discrimination in schools, jobs, housing, and voting.
During her time, the division sued North Carolina. This was because a state law seemed to discriminate against transgender people. They also found that the Baltimore Police Department had unfair practices.
Associate Attorney General (2021–2024)
Nomination and Confirmation
On January 7, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Vanita Gupta to be the United States Associate Attorney General. This is a very high position in the Justice Department. Many civil rights groups and law enforcement groups supported her. Even some conservatives who had worked with her on justice reform supported her.
Republicans in the Senate were against her nomination. They did not like some of her past civil rights work. But on April 21, the Senate voted 51–49 to confirm her. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, voted for her.
Her Time in Office
Vanita Gupta started her new role on April 22, 2021. She worked to improve law enforcement practices. She launched a program called the National Law Enforcement Knowledge Lab. This program helps police departments get information and training.
After a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Gupta helped review how local police responded. She also worked on stopping "killer acquisitions." These are when big companies buy smaller ones to create monopolies.
In December 2021, Gupta announced a lawsuit against Texas. This was because the state's new voting districts seemed unfair. In July 2023, she announced another lawsuit against Texas. This was for putting floating barriers in the Rio Grande river without permission.
In January 2024, the Justice Department sued Texas again. This time, it was because a state law allowed local police to arrest people suspected of entering the U.S. unlawfully. The Supreme Court allowed Texas to enforce this law for a short time.
On January 31, 2024, it was announced that Vanita Gupta would leave her job.
Personal Life and Recognition
Vanita Gupta is married to Chinh Q. Le. He is a law professor. They have two sons. In 2022, Gupta received an award called the Charles R. Richey Equal Justice Award. This award recognized her work for equal justice.
