United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division

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The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is the institution within the federal government responsible for enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and national origin. The Division was established on December 9, 1957, by order of Attorney General William P. Rogers, after the Civil Rights Act of 1957 created the office of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, who has since then headed the division. The current Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights is Grace Chung Becker who succeeded Wan J. Kim.

The Division enforces

• the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, 1964, and 1968
• the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended through 1992
• the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974
• the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• the National Voter Registration Act of 1993
• the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986
• the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984

and additional civil rights provisions contained in other laws and regulations. These laws prohibit discrimination in education, employment, credit, housing, public accommodations and facilities, voting, and certain federally funded and conducted programs.

The Division also enforces

• the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980, which authorizes the Attorney General to seek relief for persons confined in public institutions where conditions exist that deprive residents of their constitutional rights
• the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994
• the Police Misconduct Provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
• Section 102 of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin and citizenship status as well as document abuse and retaliation under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.

In addition, the Division prosecutes actions under several criminal civil rights statutes which were designed to preserve personal liberties and safety.

[edit] References

• Civil Rights Division Activities and Programs (2006 Edition)

[edit] External links

• Civil Rights Division - Home Page

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