US DOJ sues Minnesota over affirmative action, DEI policies
The legal action represents the latest move by the Trump administration in its widening dispute with the state, unfolding alongside an intensified immigration enforcement campaign that has triggered large-scale demonstrations, particularly in Minneapolis.
According to statements from federal officials, the lawsuit challenges Minnesota’s requirement that all state agencies adopt affirmative action programs based on sex and race. These rules also instruct agencies to factor in “affirmative action goals on all staffing and personnel decisions.”
Under the state’s system, agencies are directed to pursue hiring and employment practices designed to “balance” the racial and gender makeup of their workforce with that of the broader civilian labor pool.
Federal officials argued that such policies amount to unlawful discrimination. “Making hiring decisions based on immutable characteristics like race and sex is simple discrimination, and the Trump Administration has no tolerance for such DEI policies,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
That position was reinforced by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who criticized the long-standing acceptance of such practices. “For far too long, courts have allowed employers to discriminate based on race and sex when it is packaged as 'affirmative action,'” said Dhillon.
“The Supreme Court put an end to using race as a factor in college admissions through its Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision. This case is the next logical step.”
Dhillon further emphasized federal employment protections, stating, “Title VII protects all people from race and sex discrimination in employment,” and adding, “There is no exception that allows discrimination against employees who aren’t considered 'underrepresented.'”
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Minnesota and alleges that the state’s affirmative action mandate unlawfully classifies and restricts both current and prospective employees based on race and sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
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