The Congressional Black Caucus on Wednesday demanded a federal discrimination investigation into states that are moving to shut down diversity, equity and inclusion offices on their public college campuses.

Rep. Steven Horsford, chair of the caucus, said Florida and Texas have already adopted those kinds of policies and Alabama’s legislature is working on such a bill.

The Nevada Democrat said those moves amount to racial and sex discrimination and since the schools receive federal money they are in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

He said they also trample on the “safe, learning spaces” that colleges are supposed to provide.

“These attacks on DEI are coordinated, well-funded, and meant to do one thing: take our country backward,” he said in a statement. “The CBC will not sit back and allow the idea that we are not all deserving of equal opportunity to take hold again in this country.”

The University of Florida shuttered its DEI office and axed its staff to comply with a state law last year that bans DEI programs.

Texas instituted its own version of a DEI law this year that bars public colleges from having diversity offices and limits DEI training.

Mr. Horsford, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, said colleges had made strides on expanding admissions to racial minorities and women in recent decades but he feared those gains are in danger.

He also tied the anti-diversity efforts to crime and what he called “an explosion of complaints” in recent months from Jewish, Arab and Muslim students.

“It is in this background that we are witnessing multiple states attempt to eliminate DEI programs,” he wrote to Mr. Garland.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.