Tim Walz’s State Under The Microscope For Potentially Discriminatory Hiring Practices

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday it is opening an investigation into the state of Minnesota’s allegedly racist and sexist hiring practices, which it says may violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services allegedly required supervisors to justify hiring an individual that is not a minority in an effort to increase “affirmative action” in hiring, according to the DOJ press release. Supervisors that did not comply to this practice “may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.”

This Minnesota hiring guide was initially published on June 17, 2025, and set to become effective on August 12, 2025. The policy defines a “non-affirmative hire” as “a hiring decision where a non-underrepresented candidate is chosen for hire when a qualified, underrepresented candidates exist in the interview pool.” Hiring a “non-affirmative hire” would prompt the supervisor to submit a justification of this hire.

The policy defines “protected group(s)” as “females, persons with disabilities, and members of the following minorities: Black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaskan native.”

“Federal law has long prohibited employment policies that discriminate based on race or sex,” Trump administration Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement. “The Justice Department refuses to tolerate such conduct, and state invite investigation when they engage in biased hiring practices tied to protected characteristics.”

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s first