The Trump administration is investigating the state of Minnesota for potentially discriminating based on race and sex in its hiring practices.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is looking into whether Minnesota, including the state’s Department of Human Services, is violating federal civil rights law by hiring based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics.

“Our investigation is based on information that Minnesota may be engaged in certain employment practices that discriminate against employees, job applicants, and training program participants based on race and sex in violation of Title VII,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon wrote in a notice to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D.) and Human Services Commissioner Shireen Gandhi.

“Specifically, we have reason to believe the Minnesota Department of Human Services is engaging in unlawful action through, among other things, the adoption and forthcoming implementation of its ‘hiring justification’ policy,” the notice said.

The notice clarifies that nothing has been concluded yet regarding the subject of the investigation.

The “hiring justification” policy instructs supervisors at the Minnesota Department of Human Services to provide a reason why they might seek to hire a candidate from a “non-underrepresented background” to fill a vacancy. Racial minorities of various backgrounds and women fall into the “underrepresented” category

Supervisors at the agency may be subject to disciplinary action if they do not comply with the policy. The Justice Department believes the hiring policy might be part of a broader pattern of employment practices by the state of Minnesota designed to fulfill certain quotas.

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against people based on certain demographic characteristics.

But progressive diversity, equity, and inclusion frameworks often encourage an institutional fixation on race and other traits in hiring, education, and many other aspects of life. Under the leadership of Governor Tim Walz, the failed Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2024, Minnesota has become one of the most progressive states in the U.S.

“Minnesotans deserve to have their state government employees hired based on merit, not based on illegal DEI,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

The Trump administration has launched numerous civil rights investigations over alleged illegal discrimination in hiring and education resulting from DEI programs and gender ideology. The Education Department and DOJ Civil Rights Division have led the charge in attempting to enforce federal civil rights law and root DEI out of U.S. institutions.