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U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced a lawsuit against the state of Minnesota for what she described as a discriminatory affirmative action system within various state agencies. She explained that the current program systematically uses racial and gender criteria in its hiring processes.

According to the complaint, the state policy prioritizes or excludes candidates based on their race and sex, under the pretext of correcting a supposed underrepresentation of minorities in the public sector. In practice, the Department of Justice argues, this translates into decisions that disproportionately harm men and white people, not due to a lack of merit, but because of their membership in certain demographic groups.

Dhillon stated that these types of schemes violate the principles of equality before the law and professional merit, as they replace the individual evaluation of abilities with identity-based criteria. “The government cannot decide who deserves a job based on their origin or sex,” she stated when filing the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks to halt the implementation of these policies in Minnesota state agencies and compel the state to reform its hiring processes so that they are governed exclusively by criteria of competence, experience, and ability. According to the federal office, the current rules are not only unfair but could also be unconstitutional for establishing differential treatment among citizens.

From the Minnesota government, allies of the program have defended these policies as necessary tools to correct historical inequalities in access to public employment. However, critics argue that this approach creates new forms of discrimination and deepens polarization instead of promoting true equality.

The case anticipates a high-profile legal battle that could have national repercussions, as an eventual court ruling would set a precedent regarding the limits of affirmative action by state governments within the public sector.