Overview

• The DOJ launched a Title VII civil rights investigation into alleged race-based hiring practices in Chicago after comments made by Mayor Brandon Johnson at a Woodlawn church event.
• Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon cited 'reasonable cause' to believe hiring decisions were made solely based on race, referencing Johnson's public remarks listing Black officials in senior roles.
• The investigation will explore whether similar practices extend to lower-level city positions, with federal officials requesting documents and a meeting with the mayor's office.
• Mayor Johnson's office defended the administration's diversity, calling it the most representative in the city's history, and criticized the federal administration's approach to equity issues.
• The probe is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to scrutinize diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in Democratic-led cities across the U.S.