In the following message to all Department of Justice employees today, on the 152nd anniversary of the founding of the Department, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the publication of the Department’s 2022-26 strategic plan:
“The Justice Department was founded exactly 152 years ago, on July 1, 1870. Today, the Department’s urgent mission continues: to uphold the rule of law; to keep our country safe from all threats, foreign and domestic; and to protect civil rights.
“The Strategic Plan we are issuing today reflects that charge. It organizes the Justice Department’s important responsibilities into five areas of focus that will guide our work in the years to come.
“Our first area of focus is upholding the rule of law, which is the foundation of our democracy. To that end, we will continue to work to uphold the norms and principles that are essential to the fair application of our laws and to the Justice Department’s independence and integrity.
“Our second area of focus is keeping our country safe. The Justice Department will continue to counter both foreign-based and domestic-based threats that endanger our safety and our democracy. These include the threats posed by nation-states, terrorist groups, cyber criminals, and others who seek to undermine our democratic and economic institutions, as well as the threats posed by violent crime, drug-trafficking organizations, and those who target vulnerable populations.
“Our third area of focus is protecting civil rights. We will continue to use every resource at our disposal to reinvigorate civil rights enforcement, including by defending voting rights, deterring and prosecuting hate crimes, advancing environmental justice, and expanding access to justice.
“Our fourth area of focus is ensuring economic opportunity and fairness for all. The Department will continue to strengthen its antitrust and consumer protection efforts; combat fraud, waste, and abuse; and investigate and prosecute corporate crime and the individuals responsible.
“Our final area of focus is administering just court and correctional systems. The Justice Department will continue to work to ensure that our nation’s immigration court system is fairly administered, and that our federal prisons and detention centers are safe, transparent, and effectively managed.
“I encourage you to read this plan, which will guide our efforts across the Department as we continue to fulfill our responsibilities to the American people.
“I have the utmost confidence in our ability to achieve these goals together, and I continue to be grateful to do this work alongside you.”
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