The United States Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into Poetica Coffee, a New York coffee chain that refused service to Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman over his support for Israel.

Harmeet K. Dhillon, the top civil rights prosecutor at the Justice Department, announced the probe on Monday, calling the coffee shop's actions “reprehensible” and “potentially illegal.” Dhillon is an appointee of President Donald Trump.

Poetica Coffee, a small Uzbek-inspired cafe chain with seven locations in Brooklyn and the East Village, posted on social media Sunday that Goldman was not welcome. The post read: “We don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between.”

The incident occurred after Goldman visited one of its cafes with his daughter. The chain refunded his $9.82 purchase and told him not to return.

Goldman expressed regret over the incident but said he did not believe the coffee shop should be investigated. “I would rather they spend their time and resources investigating anti-Semitism against people who do not have a platform that I do,” he said.

Legal experts question the basis for enforcement action, as federal and state laws prohibit discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin, but not political ideology.

Source: www.aljazeera.com