Civil-Rights Complaint Alleges Chicago and CPD Use Race-Conscious Hiring and Policing; DOJ Asked to Investigate

America First Legal (AFL) filed a civil-rights complaint against the city of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department (CPD), alleging the city operates race-conscious policies that influence recruitment, hiring, promotion and policing decisions.

The filing points to Chicago's Office of Equity and Racial Justice, which under municipal code directs each department to develop a "racial equity action plan." AFL highlights the CPD's plan as evidence that race is treated as a central consideration in personnel and enforcement decisions.

According to the complaint, the CPD plan says the department "intends to improve equitable outcomes, reduce racial disparities, and achieve racial equity and inclusion in CPD’s core work by fostering inclusivity, diversity, and fairness within the Department and its interactions with the community." The document schedules implementation from 2024 through 2026 and calls for steps such as "assessing hiring processes for equity" and "identifying the impacts of bias" on department culture.

AFL counsel Alice Kass: "Bureaucrats have embedded 'equity' principles throughout the Chicago government, including in the CPD, where race is a central consideration in recruitment, hiring, promotion, and retention decisions."

In its complaint AFL argues that the department's statements and planned actions assume that racial disparities are caused solely by race and thus amount to impermissible, race-conscious decision-making. AFL cites Supreme Court precedent saying statistical disparities alone do not justify race-conscious remedies, and it asserts that the city's approach violates Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Legal and procedural context

The complaint asks the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division to open an investigation into whether Chicago and the CPD have engaged in unlawful, race-based practices. Title VI prohibits discrimination in programs receiving federal funds, while Title VII prohibits employment discrimination; AFL contends the city's expressed use of race in hiring and policing decisions runs afoul of both statutes.

The filing arrives shortly after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sued the Department of Justice and earlier challenged Department of Homeland Security grant conditions that require municipalities to certify they do not operate programs that "advance or promote DEI, DEIA or discriminatory equity ideology."

The complaint could prompt a formal federal review or litigation depending on the DOJ's response. Observers say the case underscores ongoing national debates over the role of equity initiatives in government policy and law enforcement practices.