Justice Department Joins Lawsuit Against Evanston Reparations Program

The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division has moved to intervene in a lawsuit challenging Evanston, Illinois's reparations program. The federal government contends that the program, which offers cash payments and housing assistance exclusively to Black individuals and their descendants, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Fair Housing Act. This intervention highlights a significant legal debate over race-based programs.