The United States Department of Justice has launched a civil rights probe into a New York coffee chain that declared it would not serve a Democratic lawmaker due to his support for Israel. Harmeet K. Dhillon, the top civil rights prosecutor at the Justice Department, announced the investigation on Monday after Poetica Coffee, a small cafe chain, posted on social media that US House Representative Dan Goldman was unwelcome.

Poetica Coffee, with seven locations in Brooklyn and the East Village, made its statements on Sunday following Goldman's visit to one of its cafes with his daughter. The chain posted images of Goldman at its Lorimer Street, Brooklyn branch, questioning if the coffee "tastes like genocide juice" and stating that they do not serve "genocide enablers."

The cafe indicated it had refunded Goldman's $9.82 purchase and stated he should not return. Dhillon, an appointee of US President Donald Trump, stated on X that such actions are "reprehensible" and "potentially illegal," adding that the Civil Rights Division would initiate enforcement action if warranted.

Representative Goldman, in an interview with CNN, expressed regret over the incident, noting a loss of "perspective on decorum and appropriateness and just decency and conversation." However, he also stated that he does not believe the coffee chain should be investigated. Goldman suggested that the department's resources would be better utilized investigating anti-Semitism against individuals without his public platform.

It remains unclear on what specific legal grounds the Justice Department's investigation is based, as the source material does not provide this detail. The probe centers on the chain's public declaration and refusal to serve an elected official based on his political stance.

Poetica Coffee and its founder, Parviz Mukhamadkulov, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Al Jazeera. The chain's social media posts suggest a strong political stance against individuals they perceive as supporting actions they deem harmful.

This investigation highlights the intersection of political expression, business practices, and civil rights in the United States. The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is tasked with enforcing federal civil rights laws, and this case appears to be examining whether Poetica Coffee's actions violated any of those statutes.

The situation raises questions about the extent to which businesses can refuse service based on a customer's political affiliations or expressed views, particularly when those views relate to sensitive geopolitical issues. The outcome of the investigation could set a precedent for how such disputes are handled in the future.