Trump administration's claims of so-called "reverse discrimination" upend DOJ Civil Rights Division

At first glance, some of the language looks familiar.  

A letter sent to state officials in Rhode Island by the Justice Department in June included a reminder that federal civil rights law "prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin."

But that letter is part of a Trump administration initiative that upends 60 years of efforts by the federal government to prevent discrimination against minority groups in the U.S.   

Several former Justice Department employees who spoke with CBS News said the department's focus is shifting: it will seek to protect White people against alleged "reverse discrimination."

The dramatic shift was crystallized by President Trump's statement earlier this month in an interview with the New York Times. Trump said civil rights protections and programs have hurt White people.