U.S. Justice Department Targets Minnesota’s Affirmative Action Mandate in Federal Lawsuit

The U.S. Justice Department has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Minnesota, alleging that its requirement for government agencies to implement sex- and race-based affirmative action programs violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

According to the complaint, Minnesota’s policy directs state agencies to weigh race and gender in staffing decisions, creating a zero-sum system where preferences for some applicants necessarily disadvantage others. Federal officials argue that such practices unlawfully pressure agencies to “balance” their workforce demographics to match the civilian labor force, directly contradicting Title VII’s prohibition against employment discrimination based on race or sex.

In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Attorney General Pam Bondi asserted: “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.”

Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, described the case as “the next logical step” in applying the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard—which ended race as a factor in university admissions—to employment practices. “Title VII protects all people from race and sex discrimination in employment,” Dhillon stated. “There is no exception that allows discrimination against employees who aren’t considered ‘underrepresented.'”