Nearly two-thirds of the lawyers in the U.S. Department of Justice's Federal Programs Branch, the unit responsible for defending legal challenges to key policies of the Trump administration, have resigned since the 2024 presidential election. The branch, which handles lawsuits related to controversial Trump-era policies such as restrictions on birthright citizenship and budget cuts to Harvard University, has seen approximately 69 out of 110 attorneys voluntarily leave. Former staff lawyers described the work as demoralizing, citing difficulties in defending policies they considered indefensible. A Justice Department spokesperson acknowledged the unit is managing an unprecedented volume of lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump's agenda but declined to comment on the staff departures or morale.