The U.S. government on Thursday announced probes into hiring practices and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives by the state of Minnesota and Virginia's George Mason University.It was the latest crackdown on such programs by President Donald Trump's administration.

The Department of Education has launched a probed into George Mason University's hiring practices, the second time this month that the school has been the target of a federal investigation. A complaint by professors alleges that George Mason violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by giving preferential treatment to candidates from "underrepresented groups.

The Trump administration on Thursday opened a civil rights investigation into the hiring practices at George Mason University, expanding a national campaign against diversity policies to Virginia’s largest public university.