New York, New York - The Trump administration asked a US court to enforce a subpoena on Nike on Wednesday as it pursues allegations that the sports giant's employment practices discriminated against white people.

Nike "failed to fully provide the information sought," the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said in a filing that asked a US court in Missouri to enforce the subpoena.

The filing cited 2024 charges from EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas that Nike may have violated the law "by engaging in a pattern or practice of disparate treatment against White employees, applicants and training programs" and by setting targets that 30% of Nike staff in senior positions be held by racial and ethnic minorities.

President Donald Trump promoted Lucas to chair of the EEOC in November after previously picking her as a commissioner during his first term in 2020. She has been an outspoken critic of programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Nike described the EEOC's action as a "surprising and unusual escalation," saying it has had "extensive, good-faith" engagement on the inquiry.

"We have shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses to the EEOC's inquiry and are in the process of providing additional information," Nike said in an email to AFP.

"We are committed to fair and lawful employment practices and follow all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination," the company said, adding that it believes its programs comply with the law and that it will respond to the petition.

Nike has at times marketed itself around social and political stances, unveiling major advertising campaigns centered on former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who protested racial discrimination in policing.

A prominent 2018 Nike media campaign with Kaepernick won rave reviews from activists in the Black Lives Matter movement, and jeers from Trump and other conservatives.