DOJ Test Chicago hiring practices after the comments of Mayor Brandon Johnson about black officials

The United States Department of Justice launched an investigation into the city of Chicago after Mayor Brandon Johnson promoted the number of black officials in his administration while talking in a church on Sunday.

The Department of Justice announced the investigation on Monday in a letter addressed to Johnson from the head of the Department’s Civil Rights Division, Harmet Dhillon.

“So, when we say, our people hire our people, I just want to name this,” Johnson said as he spoke in the Apostolic Church of God.

The mayor said that during other administrations, most city employees were white, but pointed out that under their leadership, 45% of the administration is black, 25% is Latin, 30% is white and 8% are Asian.

“It is the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago. And here it is why I am naming this is because there are some detractors that will return me and say, you know, the only thing. [the] The mayor talks about the hiring of black people, “Johnson said.” No, what I say is that, when you hire our people, we always take care of everyone else. We are the most generous people on the planet. “

According to Chicago Wls ABC Station, Johnson’s comments He went viral and caused a fuss In social networks, with some users asking for an investigation.

Dhillon cited directly Johnson’s comments in the letter and said that the investigation “is based on information that suggests that he has made hiring decisions only on the basis of the race.”

The Charter also pointed to Title VII of the Civil Rights Law of 1964, a federal law that prohibits labor discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

ABC News contacted Johnson’s office to comment.

Johnson, who saying In a March interview that Chicago’s “soul” is his “multi -ethnic coalition,” said in his comments on Sunday that having a diverse administration will help “ensure that our people have the opportunity to grow their businesses.”

“Having people in my administration to seek the interest of all and of all means that you must take into account the interests of blacks, because that has not happened,” said Johnson. “This is how we ensure long -term sustainable growth.”

Johnson, a former Cook County Commissioner and Master, won the Mayor’s Office in April 2023 after executing a progressive campaign with a platform focused on addressing racial and economic disparities in the city.

“I heard people who want more,” said Johnson in March when they were asked what the Black Chicago want, whom he said historically have been disregarded in the city, during a interview With the triibe, a black media in Chicago. Speaking about economic inequalities, Johnson said during the interview that “our pain is so deep and so severe”, so investments in the black community “have to deepen and expand.”

“One of the first things I did was not enough to gain power, you have to protect power,” Johnson said during the interview while promoting the hiring of black officials from his administration. “And the first thing I did for our people was to make sure to put key blacks in power positions to protect it.”

The investigation of the Department of Justice occurs in the midst of a repression of the Trump administration on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the federal government and in the private sector.

The president issued a series of executive orders after assuming the position in January in which he ordered that his administration work to end the DEI practices: policies and guidelines that he called “illegal and immoral discrimination programs.”

ABC News has communicated with the Department of Justice to make more comments.