The Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a stern warning to Buncombe County, North Carolina, over plans to hand out nearly $3 million in reparations exclusively to black residents.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, sent a letter to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on Thursday, warning that such race-based programs would violate federal civil rights laws, including the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The controversy stems from the Asheville-Buncombe County Community Reparations Commission’s final report, released earlier this week.
The commission, established in 2022 by the City of Asheville and Buncombe County, spent years developing 39 recommendations aimed at addressing alleged “harms” from systemic racism in areas like criminal justice, economic development, education, health and wellness, and housing.
Recommendations include creating a black wealth-building fund, community land trusts for affordable housing prioritized for black residents, expanding culturally responsive healthcare, revising school curricula to emphasize black history, and even establishing a private fund for direct cash payments to individuals claiming harm from racial discrimination.
Buncombe County had already earmarked over $2.9 million to kickstart these initiatives, according to statements made by the county’s Chief Equity and Human Rights Officer, Dr. Noreal F. Armstrong. The commission was set to formally present its recommendations to the City of Asheville on September 9, but the DOJ’s intervention may disrupt those plans.
“The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division has recently become aware of concerning recommendations presented to you by the Asheville-Buncombe County Community Reparations Commission,” Dhillon said in the letter obtained by the Asheville Watchdog.
“After our initial review, we are deeply concerned that many of the recommendations, if implemented, would violate federal civil rights laws,” Dhillon continued.
The folks in Buncombe County and Asheville NC have heard from @CivilRights tonight. If they pass an illegal, race-based program, they will Find Out … we are serious about ending DEI racism in America! https://t.co/XxCqgAmtLd
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) September 5, 2025
Dhillon emphasized that the DOJ would “closely monitor” any actions taken and enforce the law if necessary. She warned in a post on X, “We are serious about ending DEI racism in America!”
Former Commission Chair Dwight Mullen, a retired University of North Carolina professor, called the DOJ’s threat an “unfair fight,” arguing that the federal government’s resources could overwhelm local efforts and divert funds intended for reparations. Mullen suggested pausing the process to avoid costly legal battles.
The Asheville Watchdog reports, “Mullen said, his initial impulse is to advise the county to temporarily table the decision about whether to support the recommendations because the legal fight would sap the limited funds available to address the results of racial injustice.”
“The resources we have can’t compare to the resources that can be marshaled by the federal government,” he told the outlet. “It’s an unfair fight.”
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