CHICAGO — The Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday it is investigating the city of Chicago for possibly violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by allegedly using race-based hiring practices with some of the mayor’s recent hires.
The issue stems from comments made by Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) during a speech at a church on Sunday where he noted the racial backgrounds of several staffers his administration recently hired as his top deputies.
Part of Johnson’s comments at the church on Sunday:
“There are some detractors who will push back on me and say, ‘You know, the only thing the mayor talks about is the hiring of Black people.’ No, what I’m saying is when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet. I’m laying that out because when you ask how do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business, having people in my administration that will look out for the interest of everyone, and everyone means you have to look out for the interest of Black folks, because that hasn’t happened. That’s how we ensure long-term sustainable growth.”
On Monday, the Justice Department sent Johnson a letter which said it had reasonable cause to believe there may be a pattern of discrimination occurring in the city of Chicago.
In the DOJ letter, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon cites several examples of reasonable cause for the investigation, saying in part:
“You ‘highlight the number of Black officials in (your) administration. You then went on to list each of these individuals, emphasizing their race. … You then said that you were ‘laying’ these positions ‘out’ to ‘ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business.'”
Provisions of the Civil Rights Act (CRA) that the DOJ is using to support the justification for its investigation prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, and more. Though the CRA has historically been celebrated by left-leaning constituents, it has increasingly become a lightning rod for conservatives who allege whites and Asians are being discriminated against education and employment opportunities.
Chicago, particularly Chicago Public Schools system, has been a frequent target of President Donald Trump and the Trump Administration, including federal budget cuts for DEI programs and initiatives. Johnson, who is a progressive Democrat and former educator, has also been a frequent target of Trump and conservatives for protecting the so-called sanctuary cities for migrants.
Pundits have suggested the freshman mayor is touring Chicago upon his second anniversary trying to shore up support from his Black voter base as he frequently touts economic opportunities for Black Chicagoans during interviews.
On Monday after, Johnson’s office released a statement, which said:
“Mayor Johnson is proud to have the most diverse administration in the history of our city. Our administration reflects the diversity and values of Chicago. Unfortunately, the current federal administration does not reflect either. We are aware of the letter issued by the Department of Justice, but are awaiting the official receipt of the letter. Our Corporation Counsel will review it at that time.”
The DOJ emphasized in the letter that it had not reached any conclusions after Johnson’s comments, however it aims to learn more about the city’s hiring practices.
More on the DOJ’s investigation into the City of Chicago’s hiring practices.
