U.S. Department of Justice is opening a racial discrimination investigation against the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for a new policy that would take an individual's race into consideration when making plea deals.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) received a letter on Monday notifying them that they are the focus of a new Department of Justice Civil Rights Division investigation. “Our office will cooperate with any resulting investigation, and we’re fully confident our policy complies with the law,” wrote an HCAO spokesperson.

The Department of Justice is investigating a Minnesota county attorney after her office announced a change in policy that appears to take race into account during plea deals.