“Unconscionable,” “salt in the wounds,” “a slap in the face”: Those were among the responses Wednesday to the news that the U.S. Department of Justice had asked to pull out of an agreement that would have brought sweeping changes to policing in Minneapolis.
The consent decree, which came in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, followed a federal investigation that found the Minneapolis Police Department had a “pattern or practice” of discriminating against people of color.
The city signed off on the agreement in the final days of the Biden administration. But it wasn’t signed by a federal judge before President Donald Trump took office, and had been put on hold in federal court. On Wednesday, the DOJ asked the judge to dismiss the case. City leaders say they are committed to implementing the reforms anyway.
Community members say they aren’t surprised that the Trump administration wants to walk away from the agreement, but said they are frustrated that the city didn’t finalize it sooner.
“To wait until the 11th hour when you knew that there was a likelihood that the Trump administration would do exactly what it’s doing, it’s absolutely unconscionable and unacceptable, and the residents of the city of Minneapolis deserve better,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network.
Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said that the DOJ deciding to pull out of the agreement just days before the five-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder was “coldhearted.” She said it puts “salt in the wounds” of community members who are still grieving and have barely begun to heal from Floyd’s May 25, 2020, murder at the hands of Minneapolis police.
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“For this administration to pick this particular week, to take this particular action, is unconscionable and outrageous, and it is meant to hurt and harm our community and to upset the community,” she said. “It is completely disgusting.”
Gross’ group filed a motion Wednesday asking the judge to not let the DOJ withdraw from the case. She said if the federal consent decree falls apart and the city decides to move forward with the reforms, the community will hold them accountable. But she and other activists said they aren’t optimistic that the city will institute the reforms without a court order.
“It’s clear to us that the community itself has to be the ones to force them into adopting the changes,” Gross said.
Derek Armstrong works with Agape Movement, which has worked with the city on violence prevention and to build community relationships in the neighborhood around George Floyd Square. He said that it’s important that the community members hold the city to their word that they will implement the reforms.
“So long as we stay diligent in reminding the city officials that we elected them and that we need them to do the work for the constituents of their districts and wards … I think it could favor us,” he said.
Ninth Ward Council Member Jason Chavez said in a statement that the City Council will do what it can to implement measures of the federal consent decree.
“While the federal government has abandoned efforts to hold the police accountable, you have my commitment to ensure that we do not lose any of the reforms our community was meant to gain from this.”
The city is already implementing a consent decree between the city and the state Department of Human Rights (MDHR). MDHR also investigated the city and its police department and found patterns of discrimination against people of color. The agreement was signed by a judge in 2023, and an independent monitor was chosen in 2024 and began evaluating the city’s progress.
City leaders say the department is making progress on that agreement. But some community members said they haven’t seen enough change yet.
Community organizer Toussaint Morrison pointed to a report that was released by the independent monitor on Tuesday on the state consent decree. City leaders said they are building a strong foundation for reform. But Morrison said that the city being “on track” for change isn’t enough.
“On track, still in progress, getting there: that’s how we got here,” he said.
Armstrong said he’s seen some changes in how individual officers interact with community members. But he said he hasn’t yet seen signs of systemic change and reform.
He gestured to the list of names of those killed by police that lines Chicago Avenue S. in George Floyd Square.
“These names represent people that are stolen lives, similar to George Floyd,” he said. “And as long as we’re continuing doing artwork on that piece, I can’t say [there’s been] changes.”
The news of the DOJ’s request to withdraw from the federal consent decree also reverberated amongst activists nationwide.
Benjamin Crump, an attorney who has represented the families of those who have lost loved ones to police violence, including Floyd’s family, said in a post on X that the DOJ’s motion is a “slap in the face” for impacted families.
“These consent decrees and investigations were not symbolic gestures, they were lifelines for communities crying out for change, rooted in years of organizing, suffering, and advocacy,” he wrote.
Reverend Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist, wrote on X that the Trump administration’s decision is a “giant stumble backward in the journey toward justice.”
“This move isn’t just a policy reversal. It’s a moral retreat that sends a chilling message that accountability is optional when it comes to Black and Brown victims. Trump’s decision to dismiss these lawsuits with prejudice solidifies a dangerous political precedent that police departments are above scrutiny, even when they’ve clearly demonstrated a failure to protect the communities they’ve sworn to serve,” he wrote.
