A Worker Campaign for Truth, Civil Rights and Public Services
DEAR AMERICA
Families lose services. Resources are drained from communities. Civil rights go unenforced. Protections disappear. And people lose access to programs they have a right to depend on. That is why we are speaking out.
What happens when civil servants are prevented from doing their jobs?
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Our public services, rights, and protections are being dismantled, piece by piece, and the workers responsible for delivering them are being pushed out, sidelined, and silenced.
We are breaking our silence because the public has a right to know what is happening to the services their government is supposed to provide.
We took an oath to serve the American people. Speaking out about what is being lost—and standing up for the public services our communities depend on—is part of keeping that promise.
“Congress must act immediately to hold Secretary Turner accountable and to restore HUD’s mission of protecting families, communities of color, and survivors who rely on these protections every day.” — Senator Elizabeth Warren
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“Congress must act immediately to hold Secretary Turner accountable and to restore HUD’s mission of protecting families, communities of color, and survivors who rely on these protections every day.” — Senator Elizabeth Warren *
Federal civil rights workers at HUD are being silenced and retaliated against for doing their jobs—protecting people from housing discrimination and upholding the law.
When those on the frontlines of enforcement are blocked or punished, the public loses critical protections, and our basic rights are put at risk.
why we’re speaking out
What’s Happening
01 — THE CRISIS
CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT IS UNDER ATTACK
Workers are being blocked, punished, and removed for doing their jobs — enforcing the laws that protect families from housing discrimination.
02 — THE WORKERS
GUARDIANS OF OUR CIVIL RIGHTS
We are not bureaucrats. For years, we have worked to stop discrimination in housing and protect vulnerable families. Now we are being silenced for it.
03 — THE STAKES
WHEN ENFORCEMENT STOPS, ABUSE SPREADS
Landlords discriminate freely. Banks go unchecked. Without federal workers willing and able to stand up and do their jobs, civil rights protections only exist on paper.
Our Words. Our Truth.
These letters come from current and former federal workers, as well as surrogates and allies, sharing their personal experiences. All contributors are speaking in their individual and union capacities—not on behalf of their agencies—and submitted their letters independently, on their own time, and without using government resources.
FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS
“It just takes people speaking up and doing the right thing.”
“As a supervisor, I saw myself as having two roles: Ensure we fulfilled our obligation to serve the public and enable my staff to do their best work. Both tasks became impossible at the start of the second Trump administration. Every day, heart wrenching choices were thrown at me. Withdraw a case and leave the victims without assistance or lose my job. Fire an attorney whose career was just getting started or face punishment.”
—A former HUD supervisor
“IT IS DIFFICULT TO ABIDE THE DISMANTLEMENT OF CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS IN THE FAIR HOUSING ACT THAT I SEE OCCURRING.”
“If I had to pick one word to describe the last year working in HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, it would be "disdain," for the law, civil rights, and even us. A handful of political appointees with no expertise in fair housing is deciding whose housing rights are worth protecting and whose aren't.”
—A federal employee
“When we allow those in power to dismantle our institutions based on a false assumption that government workers are lazy, the American public has, and will continue, to be hurt.”
“I have worked at HUD for many years. I, like many of my colleagues, see our work as public servants as a way to serve our country. Yet we are often accused of being lazy and uncaring, of taking too long to do our jobs, or of actively taking steps to defraud the Department or the American public. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
—A tired HUD employee
what’s at stake
CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT IS UNDER ATTACK
Without enforcement, the Fair Housing Act is just words on paper. Real families — denied loans, turned away from housing, trapped in unsafe conditions — have nowhere left to turn.
GUARDIANS OF OUR CIVIL RIGHTS
Millions of Americans depend on language access protections to assert their legal rights. Those protections are being stripped without explanation or announcement.
WORKER INTEGRITY & FREE SPEECH
Federal workers are being punished for following the law. When public servants cannot speak up about illegal conduct, corruption hides in silence — and the public pays the price.
DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY
When enforcement is politicized, agencies stop serving the people and start serving whoever holds power. A government that ignores the law becomes a danger to democracy and the people it's supposed to serve.
PROTECTION FROM DISCRIMINATION
Fair housing law protects people on the basis of race, sex, religion, age, disability, familial status, and national origin. Dismantling enforcement is not a policy choice — it is a civil rights violation.
GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE
Without independent enforcement, power concentrates among the bigoted, wealthy, and well-connected. Government becomes a tool of the powerful — not a protection for everyone else.
What we’re demanding
Restore and Protect HUD’s Workforce.
Rehire illegally terminated workers, especially the Fair Housing 3, reverse retaliatory reassignments, and restore the staffing needed across HUD to carry out the agency’s mission to serve the public.
1
Protect HUD Workers From Retaliation and Political Interference.
Federal workers should be allowed to raise concerns, provide their professional expertise, and serve the public without fear of retaliation or political interference.
2
Reinstate Delayed or Rejected Cases and Defend Civil Rights Protections.
Restore language access protections, reinstate fair housing cases that were improperly paused or rejected, and protect the independence and integrity of civil rights enforcement.
3
Fully Fund and Staff the Programs the Public Depends On.
Ensure HUD offices have the staffing, resources, and expertise necessary to administer housing programs, enforce protections, support communities, and deliver services effectively.
4
Ensure Safety, Transparency and Accountability at HUD.
Require meaningful oversight of decisions affecting HUD workers and programs, require transparency about changes to staffing, enforcement and accountability when agency leadership actions interfere with workers’ ability to serve the public.
5
Full staffing and funding for fair housing, including the end of retaliatory reassignments
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you are not alone
We want to hear from you.
Federal workers—current and former—and the allies who stand with you are not alone. If you’ve experienced being targeted, silenced, fired, or discriminated against, your story matters.
Share your experience here.
Together, our voices are stronger—and together, we can stand up for each other and the rights we all deserve.
*Dear America will keep all identities anonymous, but we cannot guarantee against all and any risk of retaliation. While we do not retain any identifying information, we cannot protect you from being discovered due to the content of your letter or other general actions taken by the administration to find out who submitted these letters.
This Is Not Over. Take Action.
Federal workers are speaking out—but we need you to stand with us. Tell those in power to stop the attacks on civil rights and hold leadership accountable.
Contact Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Scott Turner
Ask him to reverse fair housing reassignments and firings and to stop politicizing civil rights and interfering with investigations.
Contact Senator Tim Scott (R, S. Carolina), Chair of Senate Banking Committee
Ask him to use his oversight authority to stop HUD leadership's interference, dismantlement, and weaponization of civil rights.
Phone - DC: (202) 224-6121
Contact Representative French Hill (R, Arkansas) Chair of House Committee on Financial Services Committee
Ask him to use his oversight authority to stop HUD leadership's interference, dismantlement, and weaponization of civil rights.
Phone - DC: (202) 225-2506
LIttle Rock Office: (501) 324-5941
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Whether you’re a federal worker or an ally, your voice matters. Together, we can fight back and make a difference.