[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights today made the following statement after President Obama announced the resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder.

“Eric Holder has been a valuable ally for our state and a strong leader for our country's top law enforcement agency.  He has been an important partner in working to address gun violence in Chicago and East St. Louis, increasing federal law enforcement personnel and promoting youth mentoring and prisoner re-entry programs to help affected neighborhoods.  He also played a key role in securing Thomson Federal Prison, which will help relieve overcrowding in our prison system and create good-paying jobs in my home state of Illinois.

“Under Attorney General Holder’s leadership, the Justice Department has demonstrated that our criminal justice system is our most powerful tool for combatting terrorism, collecting important intelligence and incapacitating terrorists while respecting the rule of law.   The Attorney General also has revitalized the Justice Department’s critical role in protecting the civil and human rights of all Americans, spearheading efforts to prevent discrimination at the ballot box and to reform our outdated sentencing policies for nonviolent drug offenses.”