Citing his work for the Trump administration, a coalition of more than 200 civil rights organizations sent a letter to lawmakers Tuesday opposing the nomination of current deputy White House counsel Greg Katsas for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Vanita Gupta, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and former acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, wrote in the letter to senators that Katsas worked to advance conservative policies that restrict the rights of LGBT people, women and voters. The Leadership Conference represents such groups as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

“[Katsas] has not demonstrated the necessary independence and fair-mindedness needed to serve in a lifetime appointment on the powerful D.C. Circuit,” Gupta wrote.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Katsas' nomination Thursday, after which his nomination would go to the full Senate for a vote if approved. Katsas was a partner at Jones Day before joining the Trump administration in January. He also worked in various positions in George W. Bush's Justice Department from 2001 to 2009.

During his nomination hearing before the committee last month, Katsas faced heated questions from Democrats about his work for the president on matters that are the subject of ongoing litigation, including the creation of the voter integrity commission, the rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and the travel ban executive orders. In the letter, Gupta said Katsas' work on these issues disqualifies him from serving on the powerful appeals court in D.C.

Katsas has also been involved in vetting judicial candidates for the Trump administration, another count against him, Gupta wrote.

“President Trump has nominated a long list of extreme nominees who were interviewed and vetted by Mr. Katsas,” the letter said. “Confirming him would be a continuation of this ongoing effort to remake the federal judiciary so that President Trump's extreme policies will have a more receptive audience when challenged in court.”

The White House did not yet return a request for comment on the letter, but Katsas enjoys broad support from the conservative legal community. Following his hearing last month, Carrie Severino, the chief counsel for the conservative Judicial Crisis Network, said Katsas is “simultaneously a brilliant and talented lawyer and an unfailingly kind and humble man” and “will uphold the Constitution and apply the law fairly.”

Citing his work for the Trump administration, a coalition of more than 200 civil rights organizations sent a letter to lawmakers Tuesday opposing the nomination of current deputy White House counsel Greg Katsas for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Vanita Gupta, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and former acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, wrote in the letter to senators that Katsas worked to advance conservative policies that restrict the rights of LGBT people, women and voters. The Leadership Conference represents such groups as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

“[Katsas] has not demonstrated the necessary independence and fair-mindedness needed to serve in a lifetime appointment on the powerful D.C. Circuit,” Gupta wrote.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Katsas' nomination Thursday, after which his nomination would go to the full Senate for a vote if approved. Katsas was a partner at Jones Day before joining the Trump administration in January. He also worked in various positions in George W. Bush's Justice Department from 2001 to 2009.

During his nomination hearing before the committee last month, Katsas faced heated questions from Democrats about his work for the president on matters that are the subject of ongoing litigation, including the creation of the voter integrity commission, the rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and the travel ban executive orders. In the letter, Gupta said Katsas' work on these issues disqualifies him from serving on the powerful appeals court in D.C.

Katsas has also been involved in vetting judicial candidates for the Trump administration, another count against him, Gupta wrote.

“President Trump has nominated a long list of extreme nominees who were interviewed and vetted by Mr. Katsas,” the letter said. “Confirming him would be a continuation of this ongoing effort to remake the federal judiciary so that President Trump's extreme policies will have a more receptive audience when challenged in court.”

The White House did not yet return a request for comment on the letter, but Katsas enjoys broad support from the conservative legal community. Following his hearing last month, Carrie Severino, the chief counsel for the conservative Judicial Crisis Network, said Katsas is “simultaneously a brilliant and talented lawyer and an unfailingly kind and humble man” and “will uphold the Constitution and apply the law fairly.”