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 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.

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.