The Department of Justice has established a new Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch within its Civil Division. The branch is designed to improve the Department’s capacity for proactive enforcement and litigation aimed at protecting public health and safety.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division stated, “By consolidating the Civil Division’s affirmative litigation work into a highly specialized branch, the Department will strengthen its ability to hold powerful actors accountable, protect public health and safety, and enforce critical national policies. This restructuring reflects the Department’s commitment to aggressively protecting consumers and advancing the interests of the United States.”
The newly formed branch includes two sections. The Enforcement Section will focus on cases under statutes such as the Controlled Substances Act, Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, Consumer Product Safety Act, Federal Trade Commission Act, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, and Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act. Its aim is to address issues ranging from unfair trade practices by large technology companies to defective goods imported from China or misleading claims about pharmaceuticals.
The Affirmative Litigation Section will file lawsuits against states, municipalities, or private entities that interfere with federal policies. This section seeks to ensure compliance with federal law across all jurisdictions.
According to the announcement, one of the priorities for this new branch will be actions against pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers making false claims related to gender transition treatments. Another focus will be legal efforts aimed at ending sanctuary jurisdiction laws that are seen as hindering federal immigration enforcement.
