The Trump administration has launched a federal investigation into a Minnesota state agency’s updated affirmative action policy. The inquiry centers on whether the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ new rules break civil rights laws by requiring supervisors to explain why they hire candidates who do not come from groups considered underrepresented, such as women and racial minorities.
This new policy, which has sparked controversy, demands supervisors provide a “hiring justification” for selecting candidates outside those groups. If they fail to comply, they could face discipline or even lose their jobs. The Justice Department, which announced the probe on Thursday, says this policy appears to be part of a wider effort by Minnesota to make hiring decisions based on race and sex, which may violate federal laws.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that people in Minnesota deserve government employees who are chosen because of their talent, not because of what she calls “illegal” diversity programs. Republicans in the state also criticized the policy. Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson described it as “DEI on steroids,” referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Minnesota’s Department of Human Services defended the policy, saying it follows state and federal hiring laws. The agency pointed out that since 1987, state law has required justification for hiring choices that don’t meet affirmative action goals. They referenced a specific state statute that obliges agencies to explain certain hiring decisions when they don’t meet set diversity targets.
This investigation is part of a broader push by the Trump administration against diversity programs. Alongside Minnesota, they have also opened a civil rights probe into hiring practices at George Mason University, Virginia’s largest public university. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently removed racial and gender preference requirements from its programs.
The Justice Department has recently taken other actions related to racial justice in Minnesota as well. Earlier this year, it withdrew from a police reform settlement with Minneapolis following the murder of George Floyd. It also opened an inquiry into the largest county’s prosecutor’s office over policies that consider racial disparities in plea deals.
The latest letter from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to Minnesota officials calls the hiring policy “unlawful.” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the policy seems to be one piece of a larger, race- and sex-based hiring system under the guise of affirmative action.
This development adds to the ongoing debate about how diversity efforts should be handled in public institutions, with federal officials signaling they may crack down on programs they see as unfair. For now, Minnesota’s new hiring rules are under the microscope as the federal government investigates.