FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11 February 2025
Contact: Liam.Forsythe@mail.house.gov
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswomen Nanette Barragán (D-CA) and Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) led a letter with 39 colleagues demanding answers from the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the reassignment of senior environmental attorneys to immigration enforcement, and the elimination of its Office of Law and Policy within the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD).
In the letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the members raised concerns over how these reassignments and cuts will undermine ENRD’s mission to protect low-income communities and communities of color from pollution and environmental harm.
“The DOJ’s decision to divert experienced environmental attorneys away from critical enforcement work and eliminate dozens of additional attorney positions is a blatant attack on vulnerable communities,” said Rep. Barragán. “For decades, these attorneys have held polluters accountable and fought for communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. This administration’s actions put public health at risk and undermine DOJ’s fundamental responsibilities.”
“Environmental attorneys with longstanding professional experience should not be reassigned at whim to pursue President Trump’s political agenda,” said Rep. Ansari, who serves as Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. “We’re standing up to President Trump’s attacks on our federal agencies and our environment.”
The letter requests specific information from DOJ, including the criteria for these reassignments, the impact on the agency’s enforcement capacity, and what steps will be taken to prevent polluters from exploiting weakened oversight.
“ENRD’s nonpartisan civil servants bring a wealth of experience in environmental law to the Department of Justice,” said Coby Dolan, Legislative Director for Access to Justice at Earthjustice Action. “The Trump Administration’s chaotic and rapid attack on this critical division will undoubtedly cause irreparable harm to our health and environment. We thank Rep. Barragán for her efforts to hold DOJ accountable and get much-needed answers on the future of DOJ’s role in protecting communities from polluting industries.”
In addition to Reps. Barragán and Ansari, the letter is signed by the following members: Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delia Ramirez, Jasmine Crockett, Paul Tonko, Henry Johnson, Emanuel Cleaver, Rashida Tlaib, Nydia Velázquez, Suzanne Bonamici, Salud Carbajal, Kevin Mullin, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jared Huffman, Raúl Grijalva, Jan Schakowsky, April McClain Delaney, André Carson, Sean Casten, Maxine Waters, Laura Friedman, Pramila Jayapal, Gilbert Cisneros, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Jesús García, Julia Brownley, James McGovern, Becca Balint, Maxine Dexter, Mike Levin, Alma Adams, Richie Torres, Sarah Elfreth, Judy Chu, Dwight Evans, Mark Pocan, Diana DeGette, Robert Menendez, Kweisi Mfume, and Juan Vargas.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
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Congressmember Nanette Barragán represents California’s 44th District. She sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and works on environmental justice, healthcare, and digital equity issues.