Trump appointees at the Justice Department will soon launch an investigation of affirmative action programs at the nation’s colleges and universities aimed at rooting out alleged anti-white bias, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.

On its face, the notion of widespread anti-white bias in the higher education system appears farcical. White Americans obtain bachelor’s degrees at significantly higher rates than blacks or Hispanics. A 2012 Stanford University study found that while whites comprised 60 percent of the nation’s graduating high school class in 2004, they accounted for nearly three quarters of admissions to the nation’s most selective colleges. At elite schools, wealthy white families have traditionally used donations and legacy admission preferences to tip the scales in favor of their children.

Nevertheless, the Justice Department’s move appears to be linked to a widespread belief among white conservatives that so-called “anti-white bias” is a serious problem in society.

A Huffington Post/YouGov survey from last fall found that Trump voters believe that whites are more discriminated against than Muslims, blacks, Jews and Latinos.

A 2011 study opened with a prescient 2009 quote from then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, who will oversee the bias investigation as attorney general: “Empathy for one party is always prejudice against another.”