The Department of Justice on Thursday said it would investigate four California universities for potential "illegal DEI" in admissions, suggesting the schools flouted state law and U.S. Supreme Court precedent banning the use of race as a factor when evaluating college applicants.

The Justice Department investigation, led by its Civil Rights Division, will examine admissions policies at Stanford University, University of California Berkeley, University of California Los Angeles and University of California Irvine. Stanford already is in compliance with federal law, spokesperson Dee Mostofi said Thursday.

The U.S. Justice Department has begun an investigation into the admission policies of five California universities to see if any still employ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices.