The Justice Department sued Minnesota on Wednesday, alleging the state’s long-running affirmative action regime unlawfully discriminates against job applicants and employees on the basis of race and sex in violation of federal civil rights law.

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, the DOJ argued that state law requires agencies to make staffing and personnel decisions with explicit consideration of race and sex, which effectively amounts to unlawful discrimination against applicants who do not fall within designated “protected groups,” according to the department.