DOJ, Lakeland Bank push to dismiss redlining settlement

Three fair housing organizations are asking to weigh in on a federal case where the Department of Justice is seeking to end a redlining settlement with Lakeland Bank — an effort the DOJ and the bank both oppose.

The nonprofits — New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund, the Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania, and the National Fair Housing Alliance — filed a proposed amicus curiae brief earlier this month contesting the DOJ’s move to end the Biden-era redlining agreement early, saying the consent order has not yet delivered its full benefits to Newark-area residents.

However, both the DOJ and New Jersey-based Lakeland Bank filed separate motions on June 23 urging the court to deny the fair housing groups’ request to participate in the case. Both parties say the bank has…