Obama official: Civil rights division 'again open for business'

by Sasha Aslanian, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — The Obama administration's top civil rights lawyer was in Minneapolis Wednesday to meet with community leaders, as part of a listening tour around the country.

Tom Perez says he heard concerns about fair housing, racial profiling and hate crimes during his meeting.

"The message I communicated to the various leaders I met with is the civil rights division is once again open for business," said Perez. "We are about restoration and transformation. Civil rights remains the unfinished business of America."

Perez says the U.S. Attorney General's office has taken on more high-impact cases, targeting unfair lending practices, and employment discrimination against members of the military.